Rivalry - A New Dish to the Menu
by Na-Na-Nessa
Summary: Clarke Griffin's father is the owner of Arkadia Bar and Grill, where Clarke works. What happens when a new restaurant opens across the street, who's owner and family also happen to be the new neighbors on their block? Rivalry becomes a new dish, especially when a green-eyed beauty is the one to serve it up! CLEXA. Modern AU. Rated M for language and caution.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello everyone!_**

 ** _So once again, another silly idea popped into mind, and it's probably due to the fact that I am rewatching The 100, so naturally, Clexa is constantly on mind xD._**

 ** _Since I love Clexa and food so much, I thought, why not make a story of them involving food! (I know, I know, genius.) XD Also, I thought I would jump on the Modern AU side of Clexa to see how it goes. :)_**

 ** _Hopefully this story catches your interest, and flows well. :)_**

 ** _Excuse any mistakes, I do not own any characters from The 100, long live Heda, and all that jazz..!_**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

* * *

She was putting the finishing touches of mascara on her eyelashes until there was a soft knock on her door, and her mother poked her head in.

"Clarke, you almost ready?" Abby questioned, and Clarke set the mascara down.

"Yes. How do I look?" she asked, standing up and displaying her blue semi formal dress.

"Beautiful, honey." her mother smiled. "Let's get going before your father starts stressing."

"You mean more than what he already is?" Clark smirked, and her mother nodded with raised brows.

"You got that right, kiddo."

Clarke grabbed her purse and followed her mother out of the door.

Her and her parents were heading to a house warming party hosted by the new neighbors in their little suburban neighborhood. Their house was just down and across the way, so they were able to walk. Clarke had never heard of a Gustus Woods before, but her father had, and he seemed rather anxious as they made their way over.

Apparently, from what Clarke had gathered, this Gustus Woods owned a restaurant called Grounders Steakhouse in the smaller town next to them, and when it gained popularity he had bought the old building across the street from her father's own restaurant in their town, and then eventually moved to their little residential community. She had seen people fixing up and moving things around in the old building whenever she would head to her father's restaurant for work, but she never got a good look at the new owner or stepped inside yet, seeing as he had just opened it last week.

Even though her father was a friendly and welcoming man, Clarke could sense a slight defensive and anxiousness from the new competition, and he urged her and her mother to go to the house warming party to "just check them out".

Her mother wasn't as invested in the matter as her father was, seeing as she had her own career as a doctor and kept her focus on that, and though Clarke had a love for art, working in the restaurant brought her closer to her father and thus felt like she was a part of this as well. But she wasn't afraid of new competition. They had loyal customers and, well...great food and drinks. They were one of the more popular restaurants in their bustling town, no way could a new restaurant just snatch away years of hard work.

However, she wasn't sure how she felt about possibly taking over Arkadia Bar and Grill when she got older. Her father had briefly mentioned it a few times, and Clarke would always just sort of dismiss it. She still had senior year to look forward to, and possibly college to consider. She didn't want to set her future just yet, and her father still had a while before ever having to consider retiring.

And there was also her younger brother, Aden. Though he was only thirteen, perhaps when he got older he would consider taking over their father's business. Only time would tell.

"Why didn't Aden want to come?" Clarke asked as they walked down the sidewalk, their formal shoes clicking on the pavement.

"He said he had already made plans tonight with his friend to take down the evil Slug-something, king-of-whatever in that video game." her mother shook her head, and Clarke chuckled.

"Sleegorg, the king of the Zwiggions," Clarke corrected, having heard _all_ about it already.

"Whatever you say. All I know is if you make a complete line in Tetris, it disappears," Abby laughed as they got closer to the house.

There were quite a few cars filling up the driveway and one side of the lawn, and Clarke could see the other neighbors making their way as well. She was glad both of her friends Octavia and Raven lived in the same suburb, which meant they would be coming to the party as well.

The house was large, like all of the surrounding houses were, seeing as people who made decent money lived in this area, but she wondered just how everyone was going to fit when she saw five more people make their way inside before them.

"Alright, Griffins, look alive," her father said, his eyes scanning every inch of the place and the people, immediately being greeted. He placed his hand on the small of her mother's back and directed them over to a small group of older friends, leaving Clarke near the door.

She sighed as she walked over to the wall to stay out of people's way. She knew this party was going to be more of adults standing around drinking and talking, and not like most of the more wilder parties Clarke went to, and she pulled out her phone, bringing up the group chat between her, Raven and Octavia.

 _ **Clarke: Are you guys here already?**_

 _ **Raven: I'm almost ready, then I'll be heading there!**_

 _ **Octavia: Uhm, I still have to do my makeup…**_

 _ **Clarke: Well hurry up! I don't want to force myself to make awkward small talk with all these older folk.**_

 _ **Raven: Oh, Clarkey-poo, you should be used to talking to strangers! You work in a restaurant dork. And O, always fashionably late.**_

 _ **Octavia: Shut up Reyes! Am not!**_

 _ **Clarke: Yeah...you kinda are…**_

 _ **Raven: Ha!**_

 _ **Octavia: I hate you both.**_

 _ **Clarke: Text me when you both decide to show up, please.**_

She put her phone away and decided to look around. She saw a glass of wine on a long table nearby and glanced back at her parents. Seeing them deep in conversation, she casually picked the glass up and continued on.

The house seemed a hell of a lot bigger on the inside, and rather...fancier in her opinion. Sure, her house was huge and between her parents' jobs they lived comfortably, but it had a more homier feel than this one did with its dark gray tiled flooring, stone fireplace, and light gray walls with white trim, with a decent amount of expensive looking paintings hung about. Other than that, there wasn't much of a home-like feel to it like family pictures, shoes by the front door, worn in couches, or even a pet. Perhaps Gustus Woods lived alone.

 _Just how much money does this guy make?_ She wondered as she decided she would inspect the art pieces, as her artist-heart drew her more to them than the people.

She took a sip of the wine and was surprised to find a very sweet after-taste, and took another sip.

"Easy there, child. You don't want to go drinking that too fast or you'll be regretting it later," an older, bald man smiled at her behind large glasses, chuckling as if he just made the funniest joke, and Clarke forced a gracious laugh for the sake of the old man. She had mastered fake laughing from waitress experience.

"Thank you, I'll try to restrain myself." she nodded, and moved further down, coming to a painting of a single deer in the woods. The shades of muted green blended well together, and actually inspired Clarke. Perhaps she'd try her hand in painting a forest someday...

Suddenly, something dark caught the corner of her eye, and she looked over to see a rather beautiful girl enter the room, picking up one of the glasses of wine. She had long, earthy-brown hair that cascaded down in long layers over her black one-shoulder dress. She had even, bronzed skin, and the light touch of black makeup made the green of her eyes stand out. Her features were calm, perhaps stoic, even as her eyes picked up on Clarke's staring and swept over to her. A curious feeling rose in Clarke as her eyes landed on her, but she couldn't look away from the beautiful site. They stared at one another, unblinking, until the girl raised a slender eyebrow in her direction, and Clarke finally snapped out of it. She smiled with embarrassment, and quickly returned her eyes to the painting, feeling odd.

However, she could feel the prickling of her presence on her skin, and glanced over to see the girl had made her way closer, staring at one of the paintings. Clarke began staring again, and the green-eyed beauty glanced over at her once more. Clarke could feel herself beginning to blush as she smiled nervously, and a soft smirk caught the girl's lips before she raised the wine glass and took a sip, her eyes never leaving Clarke. She took a drink from her glass as well, and finally had to looked away as butterflies clenched her stomach and her face became deep red. Was she eye-flirting with her? Clarke began to focus hard on the painting in front of her, trying to calm herself even as she felt the girl's eyes burning into her. She had never seen this girl before —then again, she didn't exactly know everyone here except for a handful of familiar faces— but when she turned she nearly gasped as she came face-to-face with the green-eyed girl.

"Either you are really into art, or you are also trying to avoid people," she said, her voice soft and low-toned, and she turned to look at the forest painting before them, taking a sip of wine.

Clarke chuckled lightly, feeling nervous as she realized the girl was standing so close. "Yeah, you could say both."

"I don't blame you," she said softly.

Clarke liked her voice. It was alluring, and so smooth that she could probably calm raging waters just by talking to it.

"What brings you to this dull excuse of a party, uhm…?" she trailed off, looking at Clarke questioningly.

"Oh —Clarke," she responded a little too quickly, blaming her nerves.

" _Clarke,_ " the girl repeated slowly, her tongue clicking, and a wave of butterflies rushed through Clarke.

This girl held a strange power.

"Interesting. So, what forced you here?" she asked again.

"Oh, we live just up the way, and my dad urged me to come with him and my mom to meet the new neighbor. —And also to check out his new competition," she chuckled, taking a sip of wine.

"I see. Have you met this man?" she asked, and Clarke shook her head.

"No, actually. I'm not even sure what he or any of his family looks like. If he even has family..." she shrugged.

"What makes you say that?" the girl asked, curious.

"Well, there are no family pictures, no assortment of coats by the door, or keys hanging on the wall, no pets...just seems like he lives alone, but I could be wrong," Clarke said honestly.

"I see what you mean." the girl nodded.

"But it is beautiful in here," she added on a more positive note.

"It really is," the girl said, and Clarke looked over to see striking green eyes already on her, causing her to blush.

This girl was definitely flirting with her.

Suddenly, she felt her phone vibrate, and pulled it out to read the texts that Raven —and surprisingly Octavia— had arrived.

 _ **Raven: Have no fear, the party is here!**_

 _ **Octavia: Yeah, and now that you're here the party will be leaving.**_

 _ **Raven: Eff you, O!**_

 _ **Octavia: Sorry Rae, you might have a better chance with Clarke on that one. ;)**_

"Sorry, my friends have finally arrived," she explained when she had chuckled at her phone, and the girl nodded.

"Yes, my friends should be here by now. Well, it was nice to meet you, Clarke. May we meet again." the girl nodded, and Clarke realized she hadn't even asked what her name was.

"Yes, it—"

"— _Clarke Griffin!_ " A loud voice suddenly boomed right next to her, causing her to jump and look over to see a friend of her father's, the fire chief, beaming at her. He was naturally a loud man as he was tall and friendly. "You've grown so much! Good to see ya!" He suddenly wrapped an unavoidable large arm around her and pulled her in, hugging her tightly, and nearly crushing her.

"You…too…" she managed to get out through his stifling squeeze. He laughed heartily as he let her go and made his way off before she could even catch her breath.

"Sorry, it was nice to meet—" Clarke turned back to the girl, but frowned when she realized she had disappeared.

She was rather strange, now that Clarke got a moment to think. Was she trying to give Clarke signals just moments ago, or was Clarke just looking too much into it because she thought the girl was strikingly pretty? She did stare at her a lot...but then again she left without even telling Clarke anything about her, not even her name.

 _Maybe I'm just over-thinking things._

She shook her head, trying to clear her confusing thoughts as she made her journey to the entry way just as Raven and Octavia walked in, immediately spotting the two, as well as Octavia's brother and mother.

"Clarke!" they waved, making their way over to her.

Raven wore black slacks, possibly to try to hide the brace she was forced to wear from her work-related accident that left her with a good chunk of money, with a black blouse and a dark red casual blazer with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows, and her rich brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Octavia was sporting a sleeveless, tight, black dress that stopped just above mid-thigh, with her soft-black hair spilled down her shoulders.

"Hey, guys. I'm _so_ glad you're here. I was just almost crushed to death by Fire Chief Jim," Clarke said quietly in case the fire chief was around, afraid that if she spoke too loud she would summon him. "—Hey, Bellamy."

"Hey, Clarke," Octavia's older brother greeted her, and they shared a quick hug before he immediately excused himself to "find the guys".

"Yup. Okay. Nice talking to you too," Octavia said to her brother sarcastically with a stiff raise of her hand as he walked away. He looked back and shook his head with a smirk. "That jerk. It's like he can't be seen with me in public anymore, I swear." she rolled her eyes, and the other two chuckled.

"Hey, where's your grandma?" Clarke asked Raven, looking around.

"Oh, she's working late today. I'm surprised they let your mother have the night off what with that bus accident the other day."

Clarke and Raven had become friends when they were children, due to Clarke's mother and Raven's grandmother working together. Though she never talked about it, Raven's mother had abandoned her due to the fact that she got pregnant with Raven at such a very young age, and her grandmother stepped in to raise her when she disappeared. Every now and then it would hit Raven hard; the worst being during her young teenage years, which caused her to become rather rebellious in school. She had to be held back a whole year because of it, moving her into Clarke's grade, thus making her older than the two.

After she healed —for the most part— Clarke's father offered Raven a job as bartender, seeing as it was legal in their state for eighteen year olds to mix, sell, and serve, and she didn't have to do too much walking. Secretly, however, he would allow Raven to fix any electrical issue that arose and she was grateful for that.

Octavia and her family didn't always live in town, only having moved here a few years ago. The younger of the Blake siblings never met their father, as he had died just shortly after Octavia was born and Bellamy was five. They met Octavia and Bellamy when their mother represented Raven after her accident, and won her case because of the equipment not being up to regulations. Since they were new in town, Raven and Clarke had taken it upon themselves to befriend Octavia and Bellamy and show them around. Since then, the three girls had been inseparable, and Bellamy became "one of the guys" amongst their mix of male friends around town and school.

"Wow, this house is big," Raven noted, looking around.

"Yeah, and so...clean cut," Octavia added.

"I know, right? I feel like if I touched anything I would make it dirty," Clarke joked, causing the other two to chuckle.

"So...where is this Woods dude? Is it just him? Does he have a family?" Raven asked, and Clarke shrugged.

"Dunno, haven't seen him yet."

She had thought about telling the two about the mysterious girl, but decided to keep it to herself in case she had just read too much into the moment.

As they looked around, Clarke led them to the living room area, but froze when she spotted John Murphy, who turned just as she whipped around.

" _Shit!"_ she cursed, keeping her back to him and ducking her head slightly as she began to push the other two back out of the room.

"What? What is it?" Octavia questioned, looking around.

"It's Murphy —don't look!" Clarke snapped.

"Oh, you mean Lovesick Murphy?" Raven smirked. "He's still trying to get with you?" she asked, and Clarke nodded.

"Yes, ever since I _literally_ bumped into him at the beach and he caught me from falling, he's been pestering me for a date ever since!" Clarke huffed angrily. "What's he even doing here anyway?"

"Well, his dad is on the town council," Octavia said, and Clarke glared.

"Thank you, Octavia. It was a rhetorical question, you dork."

"Why don't you just tell him you're seeing someone?" Raven suggested.

"And where's the proof?" Clarke raised an eyebrow. She knew Murphy would question her all about any love interest she had if they weren't there physically.

"Good point," Raven nodded as she leaned around the corner, and her features became alarmed as she snapped back. "He's coming this way!"

"Gah! Let's go to the patio!" Clarke urged as she spotted the double doors, and they hurried through them.

Unfortunately, the glass paned doors did not do well in hiding Clarke, and she could see Murphy making his way through the people; his eyes scanning the rooms for her, but he was getting stopped in conversation which bought Clarke more time to escape.

"Quick, let's join those angry looking people over there!" Raven suggested to a small group of three people standing by the patio furniture, and they quickly flocked to them.

"Hey, guys," Raven greeted them when they approached.

There was a tall, rather bulky guy with a clean head and a natural, soft scowl-like look on his face like someone had just told him they were out of his favorite protein powder, dressed in a dark purple button up shirt and black pants. A slender girl with brown hair that faded into dirty blonde stood next to him, with what most would call "resting bitch face", her arms crossed over her chest not helping her intimidating appearance; and wearing a charcoal gray dress. The other girl who's back was to them, wore a nicely fitted black dress, and as Clarke's eyes finally landed on her, she noticed her wavy, brunette hair was all gathered over one shoulder and disappeared towards the front, and a realization began to dawn on her as the girl slowly turned around.

It was the green-eyed beauty.

"Hello," the tall male greeted them first with a light smile forming on his lips. He was staring quite hard at Octavia, and red was beginning to tinge her cheeks as she smiled widely at him.

"Well, _hellooo_ ," she greeted back with a heavy flirtatious voice and Raven raised a brow at her.

"Can we help you?" the slender, bitchy-looking blonde asked, her voice slightly on the monotone side. She seemed extremely bored.

"Uh, sorry. I'm Raven, this drooling dog is Octavia—"

"—Hey, jerk—!"

"—and this frightened looking kitten is Clarke." Raven took the initiative to speak for them, seeing as she was momentarily the only one out of the three not gawking at someone. "There's just this guy that has been stalking my blonde friend here, and she's trying to avoid him —Ah, looks like he found us after all," Raven sighed as she glanced behind her shoulder to see Murphy opening the door.

Clarke looked back as well. "Shit," she muttered under her breath as turned back to face the three strangers.

The green-eyed beauty ever so slightly leaned over to look passed Clarke's head, and returned her eyes back to Clarke.

"Hey, Clarke! Clarke!" she heard him call out to her attention, making his way over through more people.

"Ugh, here we go," Clarke sighed as she prepared herself to make uncomfortable, awkward talk with Murphy.

"May I?" the girl finally spoke before Murphy had reached them, and Clarke gave her a confused look at what she could possibly mean.

"Uhm, sure?"

Suddenly, the girl stepped right up to Clarke, and without any warning, she placed one hand on the back of her neck and the other against the line of her jaw, and to everyone's shock, pressed her lips to hers. Clarke's breath hitched in her throat and her body became stiff, but the girl slightly twisted them so their kiss was in view for Murphy.

Her lips were soft, and Clarke could smell the sweetness of wine from her. Questions immediately buzzed through Clarke's mind as adrenaline and shock sent a tingling through her limbs. Her heart picked up, beating hard behind her chest, until the girl's lips gently moved against hers, and she nearly melted while her stomach contracted at the same time. She was beginning to respond ever so gently, her nerves spiked on their ends, and raised her hand until it met the girl's elbow, finding this absolutely bizarre and yet...exciting. What were they doing? Why was Clarke allowing this?

However, the girl finally pulled away and Clarke's eyes fluttered opened to see her smirking gently at her. They stared at each other silently for a moment, Clarke finding herself becoming lost in her eyes as her heart thumped erratically in her chest, and the girl finally took a step back; green eyes never leaving hers.

"Uhm... _wow_ ," Raven was the first to speak. "Well…uh, I guess...it worked..." she said awkwardly, and Clarke turned just in time to see Murphy whip around stiffly and head back in, dismissing everyone who tried to talk to him. She felt a wave of relief, but then immediately began blushing fiercely as her eyes returned to the girl who was still staring intently at her.

"Err...th-thank you…?" she said awkwardly, never having been in this sort of situation before.

"The pleasure was...all mine," the girl said slowly, her eyes dipping down Clarke's body for a moment, and before she could say anything else, she felt Raven begin tugging hard on her arm.

"O-kay," Raven emphasized the 'o' with wide eyes. "—Excuse us! We need to find a bathroom —you know, bladder of a kitten —hence, why I called her a kitten— Okay. Thanks again!" she said hurriedly as she smiled to them, and began to drag Clarke away. "O! Let's go!" she called back to the dark-haired girl.

"You go ahead," she said over her shoulder, as her and the tall guy seemed to be having a staring contest of their own. "I'll catch up!"

The girl kept her eyes on Clarke as she got dragged away, never leaving her until they could no longer see each other through the people.

As they made it back inside and went far away from the direction of Murphy as possible, Raven still dragging a dazed Clarke, she nearly swung her into the sink as they stood in the bathroom.

"Uhm, dude! What the _hell_ was that?" Raven asked in shock as she shut the door, and Clarke shrugged, equally confused.

"I have...no idea," she said, slowly shaking her head as her mind reeled herself back into the short-lived moment.

"I mean, she kissed you... _She just straight up kissed you!"_ Raven nearly shouted, and Clarke hastily shushed her.

"I know! In case you hadn't noticed, Raven... _I was there!_ " Clarke said sarcastically, her voice still full of shock.

"I have to admit though….that was pretty hot." Raven began to nod, and Clarke blushed, not wanting to admit it out loud how excitingly...seductive the moment —or the girl— was.

"So, do you even know who that is?" Raven spoke after a moment, and Clarke shook her head.

"No, I talked to her a little bit earlier before you guys came though, but I didn't get her name or anything. Did you hear her name?" she asked, and Raven shrugged.

"I don't think any of them said their names. What an odd little group. They looked kinda intimidating, but Octavia seemed a little _too_ interested in the evil-looking version of Mr. Clean though," Raven said as an after-thought, and Clarke agreed.

"Maybe she will get their names," she said, and her brow creased as she saw Raven smirking at her. "What?"

"You liked it, didn't'cha?" she began to tease, wiggling her eyebrows, and Clarke blushed as she rolled her eyes. _"You liiikkkeeddd it!"_

"Oh...shut up," she said, and Raven began laughing. She tried to glare at her, but couldn't keep the smile from forcing it's way onto her lips, causing Raven to laugh harder, and she smacked her arm. "I said shut up!"

"Ow!" Raven held her arm, chuckles still escaping her. "What's the big deal, anyway? You like girls, don't you?"

"Yeah, but...that was...I mean...it's not often a stranger just kisses you out of the blue! What do I even say to her if I talk to her again?" Clarke questioned, her mind racing. "Do I just pretend like it didn't happen? What if it wasn't even a big deal to her? I mean, she only did it because of Murphy, right? Obviously it didn't mean anything more than that…? But what if she did? What if I run into Murphy again? Oh, jeez, Murphy! What if he asks me about it? What do I even say?" she asked worriedly, questions spilling out of her mouth faster than she could breathe.

"—Whoa, slow down there Miss Billion-questions!" Raven held her hands up in surrender.

"I need to go find my parents so I can tell them we're leaving," Clarke said, figuring that was the best solution as she wasn't sure what to do now. She didn't want to give the wrong message if it meant nothing to the girl, but what if she meant just that? Wasn't she flirting with her eyes at her earlier?

Clarke was so confused.

"Fine by me, this party is actually pretty boring besides your make-out session with green eyes," Raven teased, and Clarke glared at her.

They finally left the bathroom and she began to scan the rooms for her parents.

"Wait, what about O?" Raven asked as she followed her.

"She can fend for herself," Clarke said, just wanting to get the hell out of there as she saw Murphy in the distance.

After looking around, she finally spotted her parents, making their way over to them.

"Ah, Clarke," her father greeted her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders rather tightly that it almost hurt. She could tell he was tense, especially by the tight smile on his face. "Why don't you meet the new owner from across the street I was telling you about. Gustus, this is my daughter, Clarke."

She looked up at a rather large, broad man, with a long dark goatee and hair pulled back into a ponytail. It was quite strange, he didn't seem to fit with this nice house, but then again she didn't expect to get kissed by some random girl either.

"Hello, Clarke," he greeted her warmly, holding his large hand out for her to take. "Gustus Woods. I was just telling your father he better watch out for my famous tender steaks. People go nuts for them."

"Ah, yes, just as I was telling Gustus here to be prepared for my addicting country fried steak. I hear they are to die for," her father countered back, and they stared hard at one another, forced smiles paining their faces. The tension in the air was overwhelming, even her mother looked uncomfortable, but it influenced Clarke's need to make it clear she was on her father's side.

"Yes, nearly everyone raves about my dad's restaurant at school. I have to hear about how good it is all the time even though I work there," she chuckled heartily as Gustus's eyes swept over to her, sizing her up.

"Yes. Well, we'll just have to see what the people say," he said, and before either of them could say anything else in their defense, his eyes lit up. "Ah! Why don't you meet my niece. She works for me as well," he said as he motioned behind them.

Clarke heard Raven gasp lightly. As she turned around, she became frozen in shock for the second time that night as her eyes landed on the green-eyed, brunette beauty from outside. She was staring at Clarke, her head slightly tilted to the side.

"Griffins, meet my niece, Lexa."

Clarke couldn't believe it. It was her.

She was Gustus Woods's niece? She didn't say anything before!

Anger flared through Clarke, which quickly mixed with panic.

She tricked her, _and_ she kissed her.

Clarke kissed the enemy.

"Hello, _Clarke._ " Lexa smirked.

* * *

 _ **Let me know your thoughts! :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Eeee I just saw the new trailer for season 4 the other day and I am PUMPED.**_

 _ **(Though still aggressively sad that Lexa will not be a main character in the show. Reshwe, Heda. *bows head*)**_

 _ **Anyway! Here's another chapter, hope it flows well! The weather here has been**_ _ **Terrible**_ _ **, making it slightly harder to concentrate when you're freezing! XD also, I'm just kinda going with the flow here, hoping this story makes sense and turns out well! So, excuse any mistakes or flaws or typos etc...**_

 _ **aaand enjoy!**_

* * *

"Have you two met before?" the girl's mother asked.

The blonde girl was staring at her with dazzling furious, and shocked sky blue eyes. Her cheeks had become red, and her lips were pressed together tightly.

"Briefly," Lexa said, unable to pull her eyes away from her.

"Well, I'm Jake, and this is my wife, Abby. It's nice to meet you, Lexa." her father said, nodding with a smile, though he still seemed tense.

"You as well." Lexa gently smiled at him.

"Now that you're living here, will you be going to Polis High School with Clarke and Raven here?" Abby asked, smiling warmly.

"That is correct," Lexa nodded her head, finally looking towards the parents.

"Oh, wonderful. I know they'd be happy to show you around school." her mother's smile widened. Her parents seemed rather oblivious to the increased tension starting to seep from their daughter again, especially since her mother just offered for Clarke to interact with Lexa.

"That would be much appreciated," Lexa said, her eyes greedily returning to Clarke's, who's own had widened as her lips slightly parted. She was loving the affect she was having on this girl already, only having just met her.

"Right, Clarke?" her mother asked, putting the spotlight on her as they finally looked at her, which only seemed to increase the redness of her face.

"Y-Yesss," she rather hissed, Lexa catching on quickly that she was not happy in the slightest.

However, Clarke nor Lexa got a chance to say another word as the girl's friend, Raven, stepped forward.

"Well! Excuse us for a moment!" she was smiling rather widely, wrapping her hand around Clarke's upper arm.

"Where are you going?" the mother asked with a creased brow as their daughter was ripped away from them.

"Bathroom!" the brunette called back as she dragged Clarke through the crowd once more.

"Didn't they just..?" her father pointed towards the bathroom, a confused look on his face, and her mother shrugged.

"Well, it was nice to meet the both of you. Excuse me," Lexa said, and casually made her way closer to the bathroom to wait for the blonde girl. Not only was she gorgeous, but something about her intrigued Lexa greatly.

She could hear fast, muffled conversation from the other side, and it only took a moment before the door abruptly swung open and Clarke nearly came rushing out, only to come to quick halt when she nearly ran into Lexa.

"You—!" she began, but was unable to finish as her friend Raven bumped into her from behind, not having noticed she stopped.

"Yes?" Lexa waited, keeping her face neutral as Clarke glared at her friend before returning her beautiful sky blue eyes to her.

"Why—We were talking—But you didn't—And then you—!" she struggled, her anger causing her words to crash together like untamed waves.

"Breathe, Clarke," Lexa simply said, and though she did with a clenched jaw, she finally formulated her words into sentences.

"You didn't tell me your uncle was the new owner!"

"And?" Lexa raised a brow. "I didn't know my uncle's occupation was required for us to have a conversation."

She knew she as not helping the flustered girl's anger, but she would be lying if she said she was not enjoying it.

"But we talked about him! You could have _at least_ mentioned that he was your uncle!" she said angrily.

"I didn't see much importance of it," Lexa said, her eyes lazily glancing at the crowd of people in the room before returning to Clarke, and she saw her friend roll her eyes from behind.

Suddenly, Anya appeared beside Lexa, but neither of the two girls in the doorway of the bathroom paid her much mind.

"Really?" Clarke's brow creased heavily. " _Not important?_ Not important even when I said I thought he didn't have any family?" she stared hard at her incredulously. "You didn't think it wasn't important to mention it then, perhaps?"

"What difference would it have made?" Lexa then asked her, staring right back at her with unblinking eyes. Clarke opened her mouth for a moment, then closed it, and Lexa continued. "Is it because we're the new competition? If I had told you the new owner was my uncle, would you have treated me differently?"

Clarke seemed rather stumped now, and very unhappy about the fact. She crossed her arms, a slight pout on her face like an adorable child.

"No." She looked away.

"Then, what is the problem?" Lexa asked.

Clarke's eyes returned to her, her cheeks red enough that Lexa was sure if she touched them, she would get burned, but before Clarke could say anything, her friend Raven spoke up.

"The problem is that you probably knew who Clarke was and what? Thought it would be funny to kiss her, get her to like you _and then_ reveal who you were? What kind of person does that?" she asked angrily, peering over Clarke's shoulder at her.

"Hey. Watch it," Anya finally spoke, slightly looming over Lexa, and Raven glared at her in return.

Lexa didn't say anything, only because she didn't want to get angry with her friend for stepping in when Anya just had, and finally, Clarke spoke up.

"She's right. You knew who I was, right when we started talking, and yet, you still played with me," she said calmly but still dripping with acid in her tone, and this time her outrage had quieted down from chaotic waves, to just simmering anger. "Why?"

Lexa didn't exactly have an answer for her. Why? Why didn't she tell her who she was from the beginning? Why didn't she open up to her like a normal person?

—Well, deep down she knew why. She wasn't normal. She wasn't just an open book, willing to spill herself to someone she barely knew. She was broken inside, but she wasn't going to admit it. Not to anyone, ever. It was just who she was, and she couldn't help it.

She just simply stared at Clarke instead, her features stolid, and with a rather displeased _"ugh"_ , Clarke shook her head and began to walk away with Raven in tow.

Lexa and Anya watched as the two walked away.

"Why didn't you tell her?" Anya questioned, but it was out of curiosity instead of accusatory, and Lexa simply shrugged a shoulder as she watched the girl say goodbye to her parents.

She hadn't meant for things to go this way. She didn't intend to stir anything up, but she had felt something when she looked into the girl's profound eyes. They were not only like the shades of the ocean, but they were also deep like one. There was something Lexa couldn't place when she looked into them, but when she did, it was rather unsettling, like she had been swallowed into the depths of those ocean eyes. She hadn't felt anything like it in a long time, and it made her curious. Yet, she knew she _should_ keep her distance. Her heart was sending out warning signs, but her mind was poking the beast. She was conflicted inside.

"Do you like her?" Anya's voice brought her from the chasm of her mind, where she often got lost. There was curiosity in her voice, yet a light glaze of...worry, perhaps, that Lexa didn't miss, even if she meant to hide it.

Clarke glanced back toward Lexa with eyes mixed of confusion and resentment as she hugged her father, and they held eye contact one last time before she disappeared. Lexa chose her words carefully.

"She's...interesting."

* * *

"Ugh, I can't believe her!" Clarke huffed angrily as she slammed the door shut. "And I don't even know her!"

"She is...an odd one," Raven commented as they made their way to Clarke's kitchen.

"I mean, who does she think she is?" Clarke asked, though she wasn't exactly asking Raven. "I mean, first she's all nice, and I swear she was even flirting with me before we talked, fine—" She opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. She needed to cool down. "—And then she helps me out with Murphy, but does it in the most... _absurd_ way by kissing me! Who does that?" she asked loudly, and even Raven knew she wasn't done, so she simply nodded, waiting for Clarke to continue. " _Then,_ come to find out she's our new competition and she knew it? What kind of game is she playing already?"

Clarke finally finished her ranting, and took a big gulp of her water, needing herself to calm down, but she was furious! She didn't understand why this girl was already trying to get at her, trying to play with her when they didn't even know each other! Why?

 _Why. Why. Why._

It buzzed through her head. She had liked the girl from the start. She was absolutely beautiful, she'll admit that. The moment she laid eyes on her she was mesmerized; she was intrigued. And when they had talked it was nice, simple, easy.

Then she kissed her.

 _Oh god, she kissed me._

It was nothing she had ever felt before. Sure, it was shocking, it had caught her off guard, but it was so... _incredible._ She had such soft lips, yet she had kissed her firmly and with such confidence as if they had done it a thousand times before; as if she was hers, and it felt amazing. But it all came crashing down on Clarke when she revealed herself to be _the enemy_. Was that her game plan from the beginning? To mess with Clarke's feelings, her head, her emotions from the start? She just didn't understand, and yet…

— _No. She's pure evil. Beautiful, interesting, mysterious, wonderfully kissing evil. That's what she is._ She nodded inwardly to herself.

Just then, Aden walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, hey. I didn't know you guys were back already," he said, looking around. "Where's Mom and Dad?"

"It's just us, they're still at the party," Clarke said, and before Aden could say anything else, Raven wrapped her arm around his head, giving him a noogie.

"Hey you little punk! I still owe you for beating me in that game!" she ruffled his hair with her knuckles.

"Gah! Raven! Get off!" he struggled to pull himself from her.

"Never!" she laughed maniacally.

"Clarke, help me!" he pleaded, pushing on Raven, who held on tightly.

"Eh...I would, but these heels are designer." she shrugged, chuckling at the two.

Raven finally allowed him to pull himself free, and he playfully pushed her.

"Don't hate me because I'm better than you at video games!"

"Are not!" She made to grab him again, but he darted away back to his room. "Man, I adore that little punk." she shook her head as she walked around Clarke as she chuckled.

"You can have him then," she said as Raven rummaged through her cabinets, finally finding what she was after.

"So..." Raven turned back to her spot as she opened one of Aden's fruit snacks, popping one into her mouth. Clarke was staring off deep in thought. "What are you going to do?" she asked, referring back to tonight's events.

Clarke's eyes searched the center island across from her that Raven was leaning against, hoping to find the answer engraved in the counter top, and took another drink of her water before answering.

"I don't know," she sighed. "Ignore her, I guess?"

"I guess that would be the best thing to do." Raven shrugged, chewing. "And what was up with her friend or whoever she was? She was like, trying to kill me with her eyes. I thought we were going to have to throw down in fancy clothing," she chuckled. When Clarke didn't respond, Raven raised her fists, throwing practice punches in the air, lightly dancing around and making goofy, angry faces toward her.

Finally, Clarke smiled.

"That would have been a sight to see," she chuckled.

Suddenly, both of their phones went off, and they checked it simultaneously.

 _ **Octavia: Hey! Where did you bitches go? Did you leave me?!**_

 _ **Raven: Well, if you weren't drooling over Mr. Evil Clean you would have noticed that the girl in the black dress that was with him, you know, the one who wouldn't stop staring and sucked Clarke's mouth off, is the enemy!**_

 _ **Octavia: The enemy…?**_

 _ **Clarke: She's Gustus Woods's niece. The new owner. She works for him.**_

 _ **Octavia: What! I didn't know that!**_

 _ **Raven: Yeah! Then when Clarke confronted her about not telling her who she was before she slobbered all over her, she got all defensive and was like "wherefore does it matter madam? I did not presume that twas of importance for proper conversation blah blah blah I never blink my eyes".**_

 _ **Clarke: Okay, she didn't exactly sound like that…**_

 _ **Raven: Pretty much! She might as well should have held her pinky up while she made out with you!**_

 _ **Octavia: Oh wow...Well on a different note…Lincoln seems pretty cool…**_

 _ **Raven: Abraham? He was a pretty sweet president.**_

 _ **Octavia: I swear Raven, if you find a significant other who will tolerate your sarcasm I will give them an award. No! The hot guy that was with them!**_

Finally, Raven looked up at Clarke with worried eyes. "Wait, you don't think he works for him too, do you?"

"I don't know." Clarke shook her head. "But I mean, it's not like Octavia works with us, so it wouldn't really matter to her." she shrugged.

"Yeah, but she's _our_ friend! She's supposed to be on our side! What if they start a thing?" Raven asked, wide eyed. "That would mean she'd want us all to hang out together!"

"So?" Clarke raised a brow.

"As in, possibly with Lexa and the other girl trying to stab me with her eyeballs!"

Clarke hadn't thought about that.

"Well, let's not assume they have a thing going. They just only met," Clarke tried to reason.

"Yeah. You only just met Lexa and already swapped spit," Raven pointed out, and Clarke made a face.

"Do you have to put it like that? We did not 'swap spit'. We just kissed —well, _she_ kissed _me,_ " she said with slight venom in her tone, glaring at the cabinets.

"Speaking of which..." a smirk began forming on Raven's lips. "Putting all of _'the enemy'_ stuff aside, how was that?" she wiggled her eyebrows, and Clarke rolled her eyes.

"It was just a kiss," she simply said, though she felt her cheeks becoming warm.

"No way." Raven shook her head. "I saw what happened. When she pulled away you both stared into each others' eyes like they do in the movies. I saw magic in front of my very own beautiful brown eyes, even if you guys are now natural enemies," she said sternly, and crossed her arms. "So. How was it, honestly?"

Clarke wanted to protest, and pretend it was nothing because she was still angry, but she knew Raven could tell when she was lying, and finally, she slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Being completely, and _secretly_ honest?" she raised her eyebrows, putting emphasis in her words, and Raven nodded eagerly.

"Yes, yes, secretly! Tell me!"

"It was..." Clarke tried to find the words. "It was incredible," she sighed disappointingly. "Her lips were so soft, but the way she grabbed me, not too rough or too soft, and just pulled me into that kiss...I don't know, there was just...this spark through me," Clarke said, her eyes drifting away as well as her mind.

No one had ever kissed her like that before. Sure, she had plenty of kisses before, but that...it was something different. She couldn't put her finger on it, but the confidence and mystery that radiated from the stunning girl just pulled Clarke into her. She wanted more, and yet she knew she couldn't admit that, not after what had happened tonight. She still didn't understand any of it.

"But again, I don't know if it even meant anything to her. Not that it matters. Could you imagine how upset my dad would be if I was messing around with his competition's accomplice?" Clarke asked, and Raven chuckled heartily, confusing her.

"What?" Clarke's brows pulled together slightly, and Raven shook her head as she continued to chuckle.

"Nothing, it's just...so dramatic. 'The enemy', 'The accomplice', it's all very...Soap Opera-ey," she laughed, and Clarke glared, but smiled.

"Whatever. All I know is she is evil."

"And hot." Raven nodded.

"But still evil!"

Their phones went off again, and they both checked it.

 _ **Octavia: Uhm, helllooo! Are you guys ignoring me? Where did you even go?**_

 _ **Raven: Sorry, we were talking about how hot and steamy Clarke's kiss with the enemy was and how much she secretly liked it even though she practically hates her now.**_

 _ **Clarke: RAVEN!**_

 _ **Raven: Mwuah! Love you!**_

 _ **Octavia: Bahaha! It did look pretty steamy and magical, even I was jealous.**_

 _ **Clarke: O, say goodbye to Raven, because I'm going to kill her now.**_

 _ **Octavia: Ooh can I have her jeep?**_

 _ **Raven: Uhh…NO! Seriously, O? My life is threatened and you're calling dibs on my ride? This is why I don't let you drive it, you'd probably steal it and run me over with it.**_

 _ **Octavia: I would never run you over with it.**_

 _ **Clarke: You didn't deny that you wouldn't steal it, O.**_

 _ **Octavia: ANYWAY back to Clarke's steamy kiss?**_

 _ **Raven: Don't try to change the subject, even if Clarke's kiss was a huge turn on.**_

"I hate you," Clarke said, looking up from her phone at Raven.

"No, you don't." she smiled sweetly.

"Come on, I want to go change out of these clothes so I can kill you comfortably in sweats," Clarke said, leading the way to her room.

"You're not gonna kill me, you love me too much!" Raven said cheerfully, smacking her hard on the rear and causing Clarke to gasp in surprise and pain. Raven took off towards her room laughing before Clarke could snatch her. She felt her phone go off and checked it.

 _ **Raven: Clarke's got a SUPER HUGE crush on Seductress Green-Eyes!**_

"I do not! I'm seriously going to kill you, Raven!"

* * *

Clarke woke the next day to find Raven sprawled out next to her with her arm over her chest and a knee digging into her side. They had apparently fallen asleep in her bed.

"Ugh, Raven move." She tried to push her, and Raven finally rolled over mumbling something about putting a panda away.

Clarke checked her phone, finding nothing new except for Octavia hating them for bailing on her, but then a thank you text following after because it gave her a reason to hang around Lincoln all night.

Clarke set her phone down and stared at the ceiling for a moment, giving herself time to wake up but also to think about last night's events. She sighed.

Should she really be that upset about Lexa not telling her who she was from the beginning of their conversation? They were actually strangers, after all. Maybe she was just too shy?

 _But she also kissed me._ Clarke thought to herself, feeling her stomach clench with butterflies as the memory pressed its way into her currently vulnerable and sleepy mind. That was not exactly something a shy person would do. Perhaps she was just one of those people that preferred not to open themselves up?

" _I didn't see much importance of it…What difference would it have made?"_ Her words echoed in her head, rising irritation in Clarke. It _shouldn't_ have made a difference, but with it being her father's restaurant, that she was rather heavily involved in, and Lexa being part of the new competition that could possibly damage their sales and reputation...Unfortunately, it did make a difference.

 _Maybe she meant no harm. Or maybe I just took it a bit too extreme..._

She sighed, feeling conflicted with herself. Why was she trying to justify her actions? She didn't even know the girl.

Still...Clarke had only met her not even twenty-four hours ago and already she couldn't get her off of her mind. She was beautiful. She was alluring. She was mysterious.

Clarke already felt knee deep, and it irritated her.

"If you sigh one more time I'm going to smother you with this pillow," Raven said tiredly, her voice muffled into said pillow, but her message was clear.

"Sorry," Clarke said. "I was just thinking about last night and how irritated it makes me."

Raven grunted in response, not giving Clarke much, and she let her mind wander about the kiss again.

 _Who even does that?_ She thought angrily to herself. _Who just goes up to someone and kisses them?_

She knew she was doing it to chase Murphy away for her, but couldn't she have chosen a more...subtle way to go about it? Did she have to just reach out and kiss her?

Then again, it was the most excitement Clarke has had in a while...

Ever since...Finn broke it off with her because he was going to go live with his dad, Clarke hadn't really tried dating anyone. It wasn't that she was completely heartbroken and unwilling to try again, —yes, it sucked and did hurt a lot that he didn't want to at least try a long distance relationship to see where it went, but she just felt it was a sign she should focus on herself.

However, she never quite felt that much in a kiss with him, or anyone, before as she did Lexa. Why? Why was it so...exciting? Why did it make her head spin and her heart race and her stomach tighten and her skin tingle with something as simple as a kiss?

Maybe because it was a total stranger; a mystery to her. And she had completely caught her off guard, so she wasn't prepared for the impact it brought upon her like a sudden wave to an unsuspecting boat. It was a new, thrilling experience, something Clarke had never had before.

She sighed again, hating how much of an affect this had on her, and how it made her mind a disordered mess, but she didn't get to think on it long when suddenly she was being smothered by a pillow.

" _Raven!"_ she yelled through it, trying to scramble free.

"I told you!" Raven yelled back. "Now you die!"

Clarke immediately began poking her in the sides, knowing that was her weakest spot, and Raven jerked away, laughing. Clarke sat up and began hitting her with the pillow.

"You ass!"

"Hey, I warned you!" she shielded herself from Clarke's attacks as she continued to laugh.

After picking and teasing on each other they both got up and headed downstairs towards the kitchen.

"Good morning —Oh, hello Raven," Abby greeted them as they sat at the center island where she was standing, reading the paper.

"Morning, Mom."

"Morning Mrs. G. What's for breakfast?"

It wasn't uncommon for Raven to spend the night, especially since it was summer break. They usually found one girl staying at the others' more than a few times a week.

"My famous homemade coffee," Abby teased, raising her cup. "We got back a little late last night."

"Good party, I take it?" Clarke asked, wondering just how their night had gone. Surely nothing like hers.

"It was something, alright," Jake said, entering the kitchen. He got into the cupboard, pulling out a cup and pouring himself some coffee. "That Gustus guy thinks he's a real top notch already."

"What do you mean?" Raven was the first to ask, and they waited as Clarke's father took a sip before continuing.

"Well, he just had this...arrogant attitude about him. Talking about his other restaurant and how well it was doing and how he expects this one to be even better and all the stuff he has planned. He was just boasting the whole time." he rolled his eyes.

"Uhm, honey," Abby spoke up, raising her brows. "You were doing the same thing about your restaurant when you first opened."

"Yeah, but… —Well, I was more modest about it." he nodded and looked away, avoiding her eyes as she chuckled.

"Whatever you say, honey."

"No, Mom, he's right," Clarke said, nodding to her father as he looked at her with pride. "That whole family seems like they have rather large egos."

"Yeah, only because—gah!" Raven yelped when Clarke poked her hard in the side, glaring at her.

"Only because what?" her father asked, and her mother raised an eyebrow as Clarke began to blush lightly.

"Because his niece, she uh...was the same way. All boasty and arrogant-like." Raven nodded rather vigorously through her moderate lie. "And her friend, too. I'm sure if looks could kill her nickname would be Medusa or something."

"Medusa turns people into stone." Clarke corrected, and Raven rolled her eyes.

"If you're forever turned into stone you might as well be dead!"

"Well, _I_ thought they were nice people," Abby said defiantly, returning to the paper again as she took a sip, and they all exchanged knowing looks behind her back.

* * *

" _Come onnnn, Clarke!_ We're going to be late!" Raven whined from the doorway as she watched the blonde going through her closet.

A few days had passed since the night of the house warming party, and she had successfully avoided anything to do with the Woods, save for when she had to see their restaurant from across the street when she worked the other day, but luckily she was able to get in and out without seeing any of them.

"I'm sorry! I can't find my favorite jacket —MOM!" she yelled out down towards the stairs.

"What?"

"Where is my jacket?" Clarke nearly yelled in Raven's face, who pushed her away.

"It's hanging in the hallway closet!" her mother called back.

" _Finally,"_ Raven sighed as Clarke disappeared and came back with her black quilted leather jacket on. "By the time we get there the movie will have started!"

"We still have previews to go through!" Clarke shot back defensively, slipping her shoes on.

"Well, O has been texting me nonstop! I don't know why she's so eager to get there, but she's making _me_ feel anxious!" Raven said, glancing at her phone as it buzzed for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Alright, alright! Let's go!" Clarke said, and they made their way downstairs and towards the front door. "Bye, Mom. Love you!" she said quickly as they passed by the living room.

"Hey, wait a minute." she turned around on the couch, stopping them by the front door. "What time will you be getting back?"

"I don't know, the movie starts at eight and then we might get something to eat and hang out after so...midnight-ish?" Clarke shrugged.

"Raven, you're driving?" Abby turned her eyes to her, and she nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

"No later than ten-thirty," she said with a stern eye to Raven, who Clarke knew she couldn't say no to, and she sighed.

"Mom, that's too early! Eleven-thirty, _please?"_ she pleaded.

"Clarke, you have to work tomorrow," her mother sighed.

"Not until ten! Come onnnn." she tried again, staring at her with hopeful eyes.

"Eleven. That's my final offer." she raised her eyebrows, and Clarke knew she wasn't going to budge.

"Alright," she sighed, seeing as it wasn't going to get any better than that, and she felt her phone buzz, knowing it was Octavia. She opened the door quickly. "Okay, gotta go! Love you, bye!"

They quickly hopped into Raven's jeep and headed off to get Octavia, who was impatiently standing outside.

"About damn time!" Octavia said as she climbed into the back. "What were you two doing? —Wait, scratch that, I don't want to know." she waved her hands, and the two made faces at her.

"Ugh, gross, Octavia," Raven said, and Clarke's eyes snapped to her.

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" she asked, offended as she crossed her arms.

"Not like _that_. You're hot stuff. I mean, gross as in you're like a sister to me kind of gross. Maybe if I was a little drunk I could kiss you..." she shrugged in thought as she watched the road.

"Raven, you _have_ kissed me while drunk...several times," Clarke pointed out, her face dropping into a cold stare.

"Oh...well, then no, Octavia, we weren't doing that unfortunately," she said, smiling to Clarke, who rolled her eyes, and then turned to look at their friend in the back.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get there, anyways?"

Suddenly, Octavia sunk in her seat slightly, an innocent smile creeping onto her face as she tapped her index fingers together in a nervous fashion. "Well…I may have invited Lincoln..."

"Okay, that's fine." Clarke shrugged, not seeing a big deal to it.

"Aaaand he may be bringing Lexa and Anya," she added quietly, looking out towards the window to avoid looking at her friends.

"Lexa and _who_?" Raven questioned, but Clarke sat up.

" _What!"_

"I'm sorry!" Octavia held her hands up in surrender. "He said he would have felt bad if he didn't invite them!"

"Do they know _we're_ coming?" Clarke asked, wide eyed. She couldn't believe it.

"I don't...know," Octavia said sheepishly, giving Clarke a sympathetic smile, and Clarke turned back and slumped into her seat, irritated.

"Great."

"Hey, maybe it won't be so bad," Raven offered, and Clarke glanced sideways at her. " _Or_ we can just ignore them and still have a good time." she nodded.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Clarke said with determination. She wasn't going to let some girl ruin her night. "—Better yet, I'm going to act like she never did anything, or like it did anything to me at all. That'll bruise her ego." she nodded.

"Whatever you say," Raven sighed, glancing at Octavia through the rear-view mirror with slight worry. "As long as I don't have to fight Medusa alone."

Now, Clarke was feeling just as nervous as Octavia was the closer they got to the theater. Of course, Clarke was the opposite of Octavia, sitting silently and rather stiff, while Octavia chattered away, bouncing in the back seat.

 _I'll just ignore her. Pretend like nothing happened._ She told herself, hoping she would stick to the plan, but she was afraid Lexa might try to talk to her. Could she really ignore such an interesting creature?

She had to try, and there was only one way to find out.

* * *

"Why did we bother coming along on your date?" Anya asked, playing with her fingernails; bored as she sat on the bench outside of the theater.

"It's not a date, we're all just...hanging out." Lincoln shrugged, standing next to her, kicking a few pebbles around.

"It's a date. You just don't want to admit it because you're nervous." Anya looked up at him, her eyes half-lidded. If you didn't know Anya, you would say she either looked like she was about to kill someone or die of boredom, but half of the time they knew it was just her face.

Lincoln smiled and shook his head, though he didn't deny he wasn't nervous.

"What does she drive?" Anya then asked, scanning the parking lot.

"Oh, uh, her friend Raven is driving her jeep," Lincoln responded, not sure how the two would take having more people to interact with.

"That tanned girl she was with?" Anya asked, nearly shooting daggers at Lincoln. "Please tell me she's just dropping her off."

"Uhh..."

Anya sighed, readjusting herself on the seat, crossing one leg over the other. "Maybe she'll keep her mouth shut this time." she looked to Lexa, who returned with a light smirk.

"I guess I should tell you, Clarke's coming too," Lincoln added quickly, looking towards the two with cautious eyes.

"Now you gone and done it." Anya rolled her eyes. "Lexa isn't going to watch the movie now."

"What does that mean?" Lexa raised a slender eyebrow in her direction.

"It means you're going to be all over Clarke, not paying attention to the movie. I figured Lincoln and his little crush wouldn't, but now that _she's_ going to be there, you won't either," Anya said bitterly. Underneath her frightening cold aura, Anya had a love for movies and was usually disappointed when people didn't pay attention, but there was something else to her words.

"Who says?"

"Come on, Lexa. We all know how you are when someone catches your interest," Anya said, looking away from her.

"Enlighten me, Anya." she challenged her delicately, and the dirty blonde sighed.

"I don't know how you do it," she shook her head, "but you do this thing where you get these poor, weak-hearted girls to fall for you, but you just leave them on a thread. Only giving them enough to still hold on. I've seen it happen plenty of times," she said bluntly, surprising Lexa a bit, though she only raised her eyebrows slightly.

"I didn't know you were so perceptive," Lexa said calmly.

"It's not that hard to see you frequently play with girls' hearts," Anya responded.

"I didn't realize you cared about them so much, either," Lexa shot back, though her voice remained neutral.

"I care about you," Anya said sternly, and before either of them could say another word, Lincoln cleared his throat.

"Look, they're here," he said, and they looked over to see a red jeep pulling into the parking lot.

They watched as the three girls got out, Octavia immediately smiling widely at Lincoln, but Lexa's eyes zoned in on Clarke, who briefly made eye contact with her before looking down at her feet and then around at her surroundings as they began to make their way over to them.

"Hey!" Octavia was the first to greet them rather excitedly, standing next to Lincoln. The two other girls hovered near each other, giving small smiles and waves, mainly to Lincoln.

"Hey." Lincoln smiled warmly to Octavia, then looked at the two. "I don't think we ever introduced ourselves last time. That's Anya and Lexa," he nodded to them, "And I'm sure Octavia's mentioned me, but I'm Lincoln."

"Oh yeah, she's mentioned you." Raven began to smirk, and Octavia glared playfully.

"Shut up, Reyes. Come on, let's go inside."

Anya and Lexa stood up as Lincoln and Octavia began to lead the way.

"Clarke." Lexa nodded to her as they got closer. "Nice to see you again."

Raven and Anya looked to Clarke, who's face became slightly red, and she smiled lightly, though it seemed forced.

"You too, Lexa."

Anya nor Raven said anything to each other, just nods of acknowledgment, and they all quietly fell in step behind Lincoln and Octavia.

Once they made it inside, they stopped before the ticket lines.

"So, what are we watching?" Octavia asked, looking at the list. "I'm thinking something funny."

Lincoln and Octavia began discussing what to watch with Anya joining in while Raven and Clarke hung back a few steps. Lexa watched her carefully, unable to take her eyes away from her.

She couldn't help it, the blonde was beautiful, and quite adorable with her seemingly nervous mannerisms; brushing her hair away from her face but never behind her ears, taking her hands out of her jacket pockets, only to return them back again, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, occasionally looking in Lexa's direction. She knew that Clarke knew she was looking at her, and when Clarke's eyes met hers from time to time, she inwardly smirked at the way she would look away and her face would become hard and red.

What Anya had said to her earlier was unfortunately true, she had a strange knack for luring girls in as if it were her superpower. It wasn't like she exactly did anything extreme to receive the attention, it was just something that happened. The other half of the unfortunate truth was something she couldn't deny either. She couldn't say why she did it; why she would keep these girls close enough and yet, at a distance. Not that she didn't know the reason, but that she didn't want to face it. She would rather not think about it; deny it and lock it away in the dark back depths of her mind.

Some days it bothered her, why she was like this, and other days she pushed the feelings away until she could mechanically breathe again. She preferred it that way, not to feel anything. She hated to get close, but she didn't want to be alone.

But why did Clarke feel different?

Something about her made Lexa feel... _something_. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not, but her curiosity provoked her, ignoring the warning signals. Perhaps it was new blood, as terrible as it sounded, but she couldn't lie that she was a monster inside. At least, she felt like one sometimes.

Still, she only met this girl once, and already, she couldn't get her off of her mind.

There was only one way to find out why.

* * *

Clarke was beginning to become irritated at Lexa's constant staring, like she were a piece of meat or something, but it was also making her feel quite flustered. There was nothing special about Clarke. She was just...plain and ordinary —at least, in her opinion.

"Dude, Seductress Green-Eyes will not take her eyes off of you," Raven whispered so only they could hear, but she was pretending to show Clarke something on her phone.

"I know. It's bugging me." Clarke leaned in, going along.

"But why, though? Sure, she's the competition, but you can't deny she's hot. Especially with her hair down, and black is definitely her color. You guys should just hook up already with this crazy sexual tension going on," Raven whispered, earning a secret elbow to the side from Clarke.

"No. And there is no _'sexual tension'_ , not from my end at least," she said angrily.

" _Sure_. That's why your face is so red and you keep looking over at her," Raven teased, earning another elbow.

"You're unbelievable sometimes." she straightened up away from her.

"What? I'm just saying. Have a little, rebellious fun." she winked, and Clarke rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

She looked around the theater, and allowed her eyes to casually gaze in Lexa's direction once more, but Anya was talking to her this time, allowing Clarke a moment to take in her features without feeling irritated or anxious under a returned stare.

She hated that she couldn't deny that Lexa was absolutely gorgeous, but what was she to do? Things had not started off well between them, and being on opposite sides of the restaurant battle field made it harder for Clarke to look passed that, due to the duty she felt to solely support her father. His restaurant was his dream, and he meant everything to her, therefore, she couldn't betray him or do anything that would cause conflict. She felt she was starting an internal battle.

"Alright! We're going to go see that _Lion Snatch_ comedy movie." Octavia pointed to the poster that was hanging inside the building. "I've heard it's good."

"It's a romantic movie." Raven made a face.

"It's a 'rom-com'. It's supposed to be really funny." Octavia frowned, and Raven sighed.

"Alright, fine. It better be funny, or you're giving me my money back for my ticket," she threatened. "...And for my large popcorn."

"You don't have any popcorn," Octavia said, confused.

"Because I haven't bought it yet, dork." Raven lightly smacked her forehead. "Let's go before the movie starts," she said, and headed toward the lines for the concession stands.

Clarke caught a quick glimpse of what seemed like a smirk from Anya as she watched Raven walk away, but when they made eye contact, she dropped it and turned away.

She quickly followed after Raven, and they all stood in line for quite some time, before finally reaching it themselves.

"Okay, let's go!" Octavia said excitedly, though Clarke was certain it was just so her and Lincoln could sit down next to each other.

"Wanna bet they'll at least hold hands by the end of tonight?" Raven whispered with a devilish smirk as they walked down the hall to their theater room.

"I bet you they'll kiss," Anya suddenly said from behind as she stared at Raven, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Shut up, Anya," Lincoln said, though he wore a huge, nervous grin.

Raven looked back and they stared at each other for a moment, before she held out her hand.

"You're on, then. Five bucks they just hold hands," she said, smirking.

"Five bucks they kiss," Anya shot back, and they shook on it.

Clarke had watched the bet unfold between them, and couldn't help but glance in Lexa's direction, who's striking vibrant eyes were already on Clarke, and she gave her a quick, hard smile before facing forward, feeling butterflies clenching her stomach again.

 _Stupid, evil, beautiful eyes._ She thought bitterly to herself, trying to push the feeling away.

They finally reached their assigned room and walked in just as the previews started, choosing seats near the center of the room.

Anya entered the row first, followed by Lexa, and Clarke stood back to wait for Raven to go.

"Oh, no, go ahead." Raven smiled at her in the dark, and Clarke glared as Lexa watched the two.

"I might...need to use the bathroom soon," Clarke whispered, staring hard at Raven, and they stood there waiting for the other to enter the row when finally, Octavia sighed.

"Move! I'll go," she whispered with annoyance, and pushed passed them.

Lincoln gave an awkward, small smile as he stepped passed them as well, following after Octavia.

Raven rolled her eyes as she entered the row. "You couldn't just go in?" she whispered to her.

"Why didn't _you_?" Clarke whispered back, following behind her. She knew Raven was trying to get her to sit by Lexa. She wasn't dumb.

Since when did Raven become keen on her and Lexa having a thing? Raven knew she was her competition, her enemy! She was doing it for fun, to tease and taunt her, and it annoyed Clarke because it was working and she knew it.

She was glad not to be sitting by Lexa though. She didn't want to, because she wasn't sure if she could handle it. Her intense stares were already making her feel strange things, and making it hard to resist not to stare back, only increasing Clarke's dislike for her.

Was it really dislike towards her, though? Or dislike for the fact that she liked it?

 _What? No. I do not._ Clarke shook the stomach-flipping thought from her head. She didn't like it. She didn't like Lexa staring at her all the time. She didn't like the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach from her. She didn't like that she wanted her to kiss her again.

 _Stop it._ Clarke mentally kicked herself, and instead tried to focus on the previews as they finished.

However, she could feel a prickling on her skin, and as she looked over to her right, her stomach clenched once more as she was met with green eyes, and they stared at each other as the last preview finished, and the room went dark.

This was going to be a long movie.

* * *

 _ **Bam! What'dya think?**_

 _ **Also, I don't believe there is a movie called 'Lion Snatch' and if there is, it is not affiliated with this story. XD**_

 _ **I also didn't think about it until the end that 'snatch' can also be an offense word for lady parts, so, no it was not intended for that, either. XD**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello :)**_

 ** _Before we begin, I just want to thank those who have followed, favorited and reviewed this story so far, and I hope to continue to please!_**

 ** _Excuse any mistakes, and as always, enjoy!_**

* * *

They exited the theater room, nearly all of them recapping the funny scenes they had watched except for Lexa, who remained rather quiet save for a few smiles and light chuckles as she listened to them instead. Not that Clarke was paying any attention to her…

"Oh my god when she slipped and took the entire curtain down, I was dying!" Octavia laughed, the others joining her.

"Or when the dude was stuck in the tree screaming when the lion was right underneath him! I couldn't stop laughing!" Lincoln pitched in, and they nodded and laughed.

"—I'm buying that movie," Anya and Raven both said simultaneously, and quickly looked at one another.

To Clarke's slight dismay, they both smiled and chuckled at one another, and began talking about their favorite scenes again. It seemed this movie had brought them a step closer than what they were before.

 _It's fine._ Clarke thought to herself. It wasn't her place to say who her friends could be friends with, even if Raven had warned her of this just the other night. She was starting to feel foolish of this situation. They were just people, hanging out, having a good time. Who was Clarke to bring it down in any way over something more personal to her than it was to them? She had no right.

They threw away their left over junk food, and Clarke spotted the bathroom sign.

"I've gotta go, I'll be right back," she said to them, and quickly headed towards the restroom, not wanting them to wait long on her.

She passed a girl exiting, and went in. Luckily, she was the only one inside and headed for a stall. She heard the door open at one point, but didn't pay it much mind as she finished up. She went to the sink to wash her hands, and something dark in the mirror caught her eye, causing her to look up.

"Oh," she said rather nervously as Lexa stared at her through the mirror; her face becoming hot. When she didn't move, Clarke began to question to herself why she was in the bathroom if she didn't intend to use it.

 _Don't do or say anything. Act natural._ She told herself, moving over to the paper towels, drying her hands. The tension and near silence in the bathroom grew heavier and heavier with each moment passing, weighing down on Clarke. She inwardly cursed herself for having chose the sink farthest from the exit.

" _Clarke."_

She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling her heart flutter at the sound of her name echoing slightly off of the tiled walls. So much for ignoring her.

 _Be cool._

"Yes?" she asked, taking her time and not bothering to turn towards her. She saw Lexa suddenly appear in the corner of her eye; her heart speeding up as Lexa stood next to her.

"I understand you're upset with me, and for that, I apologize," she said gently, and Clarke clenched her jaw slightly, cutting back words.

"Sure. Thanks," she merely said, trying to hint to the fact that she didn't want to talk to her, trying to act as if it didn't bother her. She threw her used paper towel away and turned to leave, but Lexa stepped in her way, stopping her as she stared at her with those prominent green eyes.

Clarke stared hard at her for a moment, and tried to step around her again, but Lexa stepped in her way.

"Please, move," she said, lowering her voice slightly, but trying to remain calm. Her nerves were rising due to the fact that she was trying to force her to stay in here alone with her, and at the fact that she was inches from her. She smelled of warm, clean linen, and it caressed Clarke's sense of smell lovingly.

 _Damnit. She smells good too._

"Clarke," she said calmly, her features soft, "Let us start over again."

"Start over what? There's nothing to start over." she simply shrugged, trying to keep her face light.

"I know I made you upset."

"No, you didn't. Why would I be upset?" she gave Lexa a look as if she were being silly.

"I know you are," Lexa pressed on, aggravating Clarke.

"Well, you don't know me very well, then," Clarke tried to say, forcibly making herself chuckle to push away the feeling of her annoyance and anger rising. Couldn't she just leave her alone?

"Let me make it up to you."

"Why?" Clarke asked sharply, her brows knitting together as she finally broke. "You're the one who started this!"

"I didn't intend for things to turn out this way."

"What did you expect when you flirted with me, and then just up and kissed me, knowing full well who I was?" she asked her, boldly calling her out as she shook her head.

"I wasn't thinking," Lexa said, gazing back and forth into Clarke's eyes. "You seem to have that affect on me."

Clarke opened her mouth to respond, but quickly clamped it shut as this comment made her stomach tighten for the fiftieth time that night, and she felt her cheeks tingle with warmth. Why was this girl so alluring to her?

"Well, I can't help that," she snapped angrily after a moment, uncertain of what to say to her, exactly. She was nervous, and angry, and baffled all mixed into one.

"I understand." Lexa nodded, her eyes pouring into Clarke's. She wished she would stop looking at her like that.

"I just wanted to apologize for clearly making you upset," Lexa continued. "You see, you have this... _special way about you, Clarke_..." she suddenly stepped forward, causing Clarke to step back confused as her brow creased heavily. The air in the bathroom was suddenly becoming warmer, at least, Clarke tried to convince herself it was the bathroom, and not her own body heat.

"I can't quite put my tongue on it..." Lexa moved closer as her eyes drifted down to Clarke's lips, making her heart speed up.

"Y-You mean finger," Clarke suddenly interrupted, nervously, causing Lexa's eyes to rise up to hers. "You can't put your finger on it."

She wasn't sure why she corrected her, she actually couldn't quite think right as her nerves were shooting through her like electrical shocks; her mind becoming a jumbled mess just with the proximity of this girl alone. She wasn't sure if she was even breathing.

"My tongue...my finger...Either, or..." She shrugged carelessly, moving closer. Clarke tried to keep the distance as she _tried_ not to think about Lexa's tongue or her finger in a way that would surely make her blush deep red, and still, Lexa was closing in on her.

"But something about you intrigues me greatly, Clarke."

Clarke's back gently bumped into the wall behind her. Her cheeks flushed with the blood that was being rushed to them by the increased beating of her heart; her adrenaline tingling her skin. She swallowed hard, trying to push the raging butterfly feeling that started low in her tummy and rose all the way up to the back of her throat. Lexa was so close to her now, she was sure even _she_ could hear her heart hammering in her chest.

The way her irresistible forest-green eyes drifted over her lips once more, as if she were memorizing their shape and every line in them, and the way her own, puffy lips remained slightly parted, rose something in Clarke that she would never admit out loud.

Suddenly, she held her breathe and stiffened as Lexa slowly raised a hand to her, and watched cautiously as she swept a strand away from her face; dropping her hand delicately.

"You're an interesting creature, _Clarke_. I'd like to find out what makes you..." Her lips came dangerously close to the side of her face, causing goosebumps to race down her side as her breath rolled over her ear.

"... _tick._ "

She pulled back and stared at Clarke, who could see the curiosity and hunger swimming in those dangerous eyes. She couldn't think straight, she could barely find her own breath to breathe, fire burning within her. She was doing things to her with just her words. _How?_ Who was this girl? How did she hold such power over her?

The bathroom door opened, and a girl quickly entered, not bothering to even look at the two as her eyes were glued to the phone in her hand, and the snap shut of the stall door finally broke Clarke out of her trance, helping her find her breath again.

Suddenly, she felt embarrassed.

It filled her from head to toe, and she felt like she was drowning in it; disoriented by the rush of it.

She had gotten to her. She had caused a reaction out of her, and by the ever so gentle smirk that tugged at one corner of Lexa's lips, she knew that Lexa knew she had gotten a rise out of her.

Anger filled her at how easy this girl could do this to her. How easy she could get under her skin and make it tingle. How easy she could strike her heart and make it race. How easy she could slip into her mind and cause it to become foggy. How easy she could fuel the flames of a burning desire she had never felt before.

It excited her, but it angered her, because this girl was treating it like it was a game.

" _Excuse me,"_ Clarke finally said with a hard voice, biting back the urge to yell at her, knowing someone was in the bathroom with them. She finally stepped around her, leaving her there as she quickly escaped.

How? How did this girl make her knees weak so easily? How did she make her heart thump so hard that it was ready to burst out of her chest? Clarke didn't understand, and she didn't like it.

—No. She did like it. She just hated that she did.

 _Stupid! Stupid!_ She mentally kicked herself. She knew that Lexa knew she had gotten to her. Lexa knew she caused a reaction out of her, and Clarke _knew_ that was her plan all along.

 _Idiot!_

She cleared her throat and tried to calm herself down as she approached her friends and the others who were now over by the doors, glad they had moved further away that it would allow the heat in her cheeks to drop, and for her to try to clear her mind, though it was nearly impossible when Lexa invaded every inch of it. She couldn't force her away.

"Where's Lexa?" Anya was the first to speak when Clarke approached, and even her name alone sent a rip of fire through her.

"Oh, uhm," Clarke stammered, looking back behind her. "She must still be in the bathroom," she said, and Raven raised a brow in her direction, but she avoided her eyes, pulling out her phone to occupy herself.

Now, she was regretting persuading her mother to stay out longer.

Finally, Lexa strolled —still rather gracefully— up to them, her features stolid as they almost always were as if nothing had happened in the bathroom; Clarke hating that she could hide her emotions so easily where she couldn't, fueling her anger.

"Alright, where are we going to eat?" Octavia asked, looking around at the group, most of them shrugging.

"Uhm, actually..." Clarke began quietly, trying to think of an excuse to leave early, but when Lexa's eyes turned to her, staring at her as if challenging her to continue, like she knew Clarke wanted to escape, brought an intense determination to thwart this girl's game plan. She couldn't let this go on any longer. She needed to stand up, fight back, and her anger fueled this new determination in her; coating her like armor. She wasn't going to let her do this to her. Not again, not anymore.

"What?" Raven asked, her face beginning to turn to worry, but Clarke wiped away the uneasiness from her face, setting it straight.

"—How about Dante's Corner? I could go for an old-fashioned milkshake and fries," she finally said, finding her voice and standing up taller as she looked at the rest of the group.

"Oh, that sounds good." Raven nodded, looking to the others for opinions.

"It's been a while since we've been there," Lincoln said, looking to Anya, who nodded. "I don't think Lexa's ever been there, yet."

"Oh?" Octavia questioned, looking towards her, and she nodded.

"No, I have not been there, but if that's where Clarke wants to go, I'm all for it." Her eyes swept back to Clarke, who tried to hold her gaze.

"Great," Clarke said, clenching her jaw slightly as she stared back at her. It was a silent battle to see who would look away first.

"Uhh...alright, Dante's Corner it is," Octavia said slowly, and as they began to exit, she gave Clarke a strange, questioning gaze, but she simply smiled at her and exited the theater.

So Lexa wanted to play?

Oh, Clarke could play.

* * *

Lexa chose to sit in the back seat, recalling back to what had happened in the bathroom; smirking to herself in the dark as they headed towards the old-fashion styled diner. She had gotten a rise out of Clarke.

She hadn't intended to do it, honestly. She was just going to go in and apologize, but there was just something about Clarke, something...tantalizing about taunting her. She liked it.

Sure, she could get a rise out of a girl easily, and deep down she liked this power she held, but it was nothing compared to Clarke's. Other girls fell so easily, were so willing to crumble to her, and grant her anything she wanted with them, but Clarke...Oh, Clarke. She actually made it harder.

How had she never encountered someone like her before? Someone so defiant to not fall to her charms? She thought she had her in the beginning, but the reveal of who she was, how she was her new competition, brought this...battle between them. It was a game; a game neither of them were willing to lose.

Still, Clarke made Lexa feel something different in their short encounters. She was different. Different than the rest, and Lexa couldn't quite figure it out. She needn't do anything, and still, she captured Lexa's interest greatly. It was entertaining to get a reaction out of Clarke, whether it was anger or...something else.

It was becoming rather...addicting.

"So, what happened in the bathroom?" Anya's voice drifted to the back seat as she blew out a hit from her cigarette, but Lexa didn't bother to look at her.

"Nothing."

" _Really?"_ Anya raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"I apologized, if that's what you wanted to hear," Lexa said nonchalantly.

"Then, please explain why Clarke came out looking rather...flustered," Anya pointed out, flicking the ashes out the window, and Lexa merely shrugged.

"I couldn't tell you."

"Liar," Anya called her out, though it was obviously in a light manner, and Lexa smirked. "You did something to the poor girl, didn't you?"

"I did not," Lexa said calmly. "I just talked to her."

"Well, maybe you should take it easy. She looks like she's about to explode any time she's near you, or after she talks to you."

"That is not my fault," Lexa said, looking out towards the window.

"Still," Anya simply said, facing forward.

"Are you possibly taking a liking to them?" Lexa smirked. "Or perhaps, taking a liking to Raven?"

"No." Anya glared in her direction, but contemplation softened her features and she shrugged carelessly. "I mean, they're not bad people so far. Entertaining."

"It's quite alright, Anya." Lexa continued to tease.

"Oh, shut up, Lexa. I can have other friends who aren't my cousin and step brother," Anya shot back, and Lincoln chuckled at them.

"You two are something else entirely," he said with a shake of his head as he pulled them into the parking lot of the diner. "Always something with you two..."

They got out once he parked in a spot a few cars from them. Anya took one last hit from her cigarette before dropping it and putting it out with her shoe, and they walked towards the girls.

"Ready?" Octavia smiled once they reached them, and they all headed towards the entrance.

Lincoln held the door open, Octavia going first, followed by Anya, then Raven, and as Clarke naturally headed in behind her friend, Lexa had stepped towards the entrance as well, and Clarke stopped awkwardly.

"After you," Lexa said gently, watching Clarke, who seemed to suddenly pull her shoulders back.

"Thanks," she said confidently, and didn't hesitate this time to walk in.

"Hello —Oh, hey guys!" a dark haired girl smiled widely at Raven, Octavia and Clarke, obvious that she knew them.

"Hey, Maya!" Octavia greeted her back, and the other two greeted her as well.

"How's your summer going?" she asked them, clutching menus to her chest.

"Pretty good. How about yours?" Raven asked her, and she nodded.

"Well enough. I've just mostly been working and hanging out with Jasper —and Monty, of course."

"Oh yeah? Has Jasper made a move yet?" Clarke asked the girl.

"No, I'm still waiting." she smiled sheepishly, dropping her head as a blush tinged her cheeks.

"What! —Ugh, I'm going to tell that boy he better hurry up! He talks about you _all_ the time." Raven rolled her eyes, smiling, and the dark haired girl laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Octavia suddenly spoke. "This is Lincoln, Anya, and Lexa." she introduced them, and they greeted with a small smile, a raise of the hand, and a nod.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Maya," she greeted them back. "—Oh, I guess I better not keep you standing at the door and actually seat you," she chuckled, and turned to take them to a table.

They followed her to a corner by the window in the old-fashion styled diner, one side of the table a booth style and the other side lined with chairs.

Octavia slid into the booth with Raven and Clarke following, as Lincoln took the chair across from her, Anya across from Raven, and to Lexa's delight, she across from Clarke.

She smiled lightly at her as she took her seat, but Clarke simply turned her eyes to their friend and waitress, who began passing out the menus.

"I'll give you guys a minute to look these over. Did you want to start out with drinks or milkshakes?" Maya asked them once she finished.

"Ooh, I want a Birthday Cake milkshake!" Octavia said excitedly.

"Gross," Raven said, earning a sticking out of Octavia's tongue at her which she gladly returned. "I'll take a Cookies and Cream milkshake."

"Okay." Maya jotted it down on her notepad. She waited for the next of them to order.

"Just a Fudge Brownie milkshake," Lincoln said with a nod.

"Cookie Dough," Anya said right away, not bothering to look up, and Maya quickly wrote it down.

She then looked between Lexa and Clarke, waiting for one of them to speak.

"Uh, Chocolate milkshake." Clarke nodded, smiling sweetly at the girl. Lexa couldn't help but watch her lips as they stretched over perfect, white teeth.

"Booorrriiinnnggg," Raven sung out, and Clarke rolled her eyes as Maya wrote it down, and she finally looked to Lexa.

"Vanilla, please."

"God, even more boring!" Raven teased, and Lexa stared at her for a moment, unmoving, and causing Raven's smile to become awkward. She looked down at her menu with raised brows.

"Yeah, Lexa's pretty boring like that," Anya spoke up, her voice dry, and Raven looked up. They shared a look between each other, as if Anya were apologizing for Lexa.

"— _Original_ , I believe is the proper term," Lexa shot back to ease the moment, remembering what Anya had said in the car, and Raven's features and smile seemed to have relaxed at her comeback.

"Whatever you say," she teased back, and Lexa smiled gently.

"Alright! I'll be right back with those," Maya said, nodding, and she walked away.

They began talking amongst one another, Octavia and Lincoln engaging in quiet, slightly nervous conversation as Raven and Anya picked up on the topic of movies and television shows. Lexa turned her eyes to Clarke, who remained quiet, listening to Raven and Anya.

"What do _you_ like to watch, Clarke?" Lexa questioned, finally capturing her attention. She seemed rather surprised by the simplistic question.

"Oh, uhm..." she sat up a bit straighter. "Nothing in particular." she shook her head, and Lexa noticed she looked to her with assurance; the nervous, almost jittery alertness she was already accustomed to seeing in her eyes now pushed away.

She didn't ask in return, and instead returned her eyes to the two next to them.

"Do you like music, Clarke?" Lexa pressed on with a raised brow, who's steely eyes snapped to hers.

"Who doesn't?" she tilted her head slightly, and Lexa smirked.

She was catching on now.

Clarke was doing this on purpose. She was answering her questions, yes, but only just enough —as well as not asking in return— and it was pulling Lexa further into curiosity. She had a feeling Clarke knew this, too.

Fine, she'd give her some space. She didn't want to push Clarke to the point of disliking her so much that she would avoid or ignore her. She liked her.

Lexa also didn't want to come off as desperate for Clarke's attention, or vulnerable. She didn't _need_ her attention, she just wanted it for fun. Any girl she took an interest in, she just wanted it for the fun of it. For something to do. That's all. She wasn't someone to need anything from anyone. Not after…

She pushed the dark thoughts away, finding herself getting lost in her mind again.

She didn't like getting stuck there, but some days it was unavoidable, which was why she invested her time and occupied her mind with other things, or rather...girls. They were always around, at least one of them, and they were a distraction, because she had no other motivation for anything else in her life. Not anymore. Work also served as a distraction, but it wasn't like she could work twenty-four seven, so she had to find other means that were appealing to her. Things that _could_ actually excite her, make her feel something other than numb, but even still, sometimes some of these girls just didn't quite fill the void.

However, Clarke ignited something different, but Lexa just still couldn't figure it out. The way she looked at her, the way she moved and spoke, even the sound of her voice, it sparked something different in Lexa. She wasn't sure if she should avoid it like one half of her was warning her to do, or pursue it like the other have was urging. She hadn't felt this, urging curiosity in so long. The others had become boring to her. They opened themselves up so easily to her, like flipping a simple switch, and they were hers. But Clarke didn't.

That first night, she thought she had gotten her with that kiss. She predicted it to all be the same again, just with someone new, but when Clarke had gotten angry with her, and pulled herself back from her charms, it became more interesting. But was there something more to it that Lexa was just avoiding?

 _No._ She told her mind to stop in its tracks. She was not going to go there. She didn't want to go there again.

In the beginning, she used to drink away these feelings, something she learned and secretly gained access to from her _mother,_ and it worked at first, but with drinking came vulnerability to her mind, and she often found herself succumbed to it. She didn't want to be like that woman. So, she found a less damaging distraction.

She knew it wasn't fair to these girls, and at times before she felt bad, but she couldn't stop it, and when you've been damaged for so long you find yourself no longer caring for things.

So what was different about Clarke? Was it perhaps that Lexa felt like she deserved the anger? Somewhere in her, Lexa waited for any of those girls to get angry with her, to yell at her and make her feel bad for what she was doing, but they never did.

Clarke had though.

Honestly, it all confused Lexa. She had become someone different than what she used to be, and even she didn't understand herself. But she hated looking vulnerable, or seeming weak. She was raised not to be weak. She was raised with a hard heart, and after what had happened to... _her,_ because she could not bring herself to even say her name, it only hardened her heart. It had become coated in cold stone, and no one had been able to break it. She preferred it that way, anyway.

"Here we are." Maya had finally returned with a tray full of milkshakes, at last pulling Lexa from her thoughts. She inwardly cursed for getting stuck there again, and as she looked up, not realizing she had stared off into a spot on the table, she found Clarke watching her with hard curious eyes. Lexa kept her features neutral, and Clarke finally looked away as Maya began passing out the milkshakes.

"There you go," she said, and set Clarke's and Lexa's down last.

"Oh, uhm, this one's hers," Clarke said, realizing Maya had switched theirs on accident, and as Clarke slid Lexa's over, she reached out and took it, accidentally overlapping her fingers with Clarke's.

They stared at one another for a moment, and Lexa noticed the light red tinge on her cheeks, feeling that interest sparking her again at how often Clarke blushed. Her thoughts had finally got shoved to the back of her mind as she resumed herself. Neither of them moved for a moment, until Lexa finally slid Clarke's over, the sound of the glass sliding over the table finally causing Clarke to remove her fingers out from Lexa's and taking her milkshake. Lexa smirked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Maya chuckled gently.

"It's quite alright, Maya," Lexa said with a gentle voice, turning soft eyes to the waitress, gazing at her for a moment. "It was an honest mistake."

She wasn't sure why she was doing it, or rather, why she felt the need to, but she purposefully stared at the dark haired girl, giving her a light, charming smirk, and Maya actually blushed.

"W-Well, uhm," Maya cleared her throat, pulling her eyes away. "Are you guys ready to order?"

Lexa swept her eyes back to Clarke, who seemed to be frowning ever so slightly at Maya. She then looked towards her, and Lexa raised a curious brow, but she nervously brushed a strand of golden hair away and looked down, pretending to look over the menu.

Did Lexa detect a hint of jealousy like she had hoped?

Oh, she hoped so.

* * *

Clarke wasn't sure why Lexa had given Maya that… _coquettish grin_. It kind of annoyed her. Why would she do that right after that _moment_ they just had when their fingers had touched? Wasn't there a moment?

 _Wait. What do I care?_ Clarke asked herself, shaking the feeling away angrily.

What was it, exactly, she was feeling? Annoyance? Yes. Bewilderment? Perhaps. Jealousy?

 _No. Definitely not._ She told herself, but even deep down, she wasn't certain.

If Lexa has spent all this time flirting with her, why would she flirt with another girl right in front of her? That was definitely no way to win her over. —Not that Clarke wanted her to. Not in the slightest. She didn't care what Lexa did, because Clarke was not going to fall for it. She was going to keep herself guarded.

 _I don't care. I don't._ She repeated to herself as if it were her mantra.

"Uhm, I think I still need a minute," Raven finally answered, looking over the menu.

"Yeah...I didn't even look yet," Octavia admitted, and Maya nodded.

"No problem! I'll come back in a few," she said, and left them to decide what to get.

"I might get their guacamole burger, they are _soo_ good," Raven said, but Anya made a disagreeing noise.

"Not as good as their chili cheese dogs."

"Yeah, right. You can't beat guacamole with simple chili meat, sorry," Raven shot back.

"It's not just _'simple chili meat'_. It's better, and there's cheese, and onions—" Anya began, but Raven made a face.

"—Ugh, no. Raw onions are so gross."

"You can get them without." Anya stared at her.

"Well you don't have to take nasty onions out of amazing guacamole!" Raven gave her a defiant smile.

"Most have onions in them, you dunce."

"The _green_ part! Which tastes better than white!" Raven raised her voice slightly, and the others couldn't tell if they were playfully bickering, or if this was actually beginning to turn into a heated argument, and thankfully, Lincoln cut in.

"It doesn't matter! Just get whatever you guys like!" he said, shaking his head at the ridiculousness, and they both quieted down.

"Yeah, let's not kill each other over onions." Octavia rolled her eyes, and Raven playfully elbowed her, seeming to get over the heightened moment.

They all started going over different items on the menu again, and though Clarke read it over, she knew she just wanted fries.

She stole a glance in Lexa's direction, who was looking at the menu, but not actually reading it because she was staring at the corner of it.

Clarke began to feel bad that the others were engaging in conversation, and that Clarke basically dismissed Lexa's attempts. She could feel it again, the thought that maybe she was taking things a bit too extreme, allowing her anger and emotions to control her decisions. Maybe she should give Lexa a chance…

"What are you getting?" Clarke finally spoke up. It was quiet, but it still caught Lexa's attention, and she looked up.

"Nothing."

"Why not?" Clarke asked, truly curious.

"I have an appetite for... _something else_ ," she said with an upturned corner of her lips, and Clarke was thrown right back to square one.

So, the game was still on.

She clenched her jaw and looked away. Did anyone else notice this? Was she the only one?

She didn't think on it long though, as Maya came back to take their order.

Once again, she came to Lexa, who gave her that flirtatious look and smile.

"Nothing. Thank you, _Maya_ ," she said her name with a smooth voice, and she handed the menu back to her, but as Maya went to take it, Lexa held onto it for a second longer, staring at her. Clarke swore Maya may have blushed, and she felt something in the pit of her stomach that rose up to her chest, hot and simmering. Lexa finally let it go, allowing Maya to take their order to the back.

Her eyes swept to Clarke's once more, but she decided to occupy herself with her phone to avoid her gaze. Her mind was drifting into thoughts of Lexa and perhaps how to get back at her though, and suddenly, an idea came.

She put her phone away and casually picked up her long silver spoon. Before she dipped it into her glass however, she reached up and twirled the cherry into the whipped cream by its stem. She _knew_ Lexa was watching her, but she kept her eyes focused on the fruit, and put it into her mouth, sucking the whipped cream off.

Her adrenaline started to rise, and she stole a glance in Lexa's direction, finding predatory eyes staring at her, and she forced herself not to smile as she licked her lips. She then took the cherry between her teeth, and tugged on the stem, pulling it off. She stared at Lexa for only just a second, the cherry resting between her lips and teeth, and she watched as Lexa's eyes narrowed at her mouth before Clarke took it in and ate it, keeping her features straight.

Was there a blush on Lexa's smooth cheeks? She didn't get a chance to figure it out, because Lexa sat up straighter and tilted her head slightly, a rather mischievous look painting her face and pushing away any hint of blushing. She was radiating confidence.

Clarke finally dipped her spoon in, and made sure to _slowly_ put the spoon full of chocolate sweetness into her mouth, and _slowly_ slide it out clean.

She could see Lexa's jaw working, a smirk tugging at her lips as she stared at her. Clarke tried not to collapse under her intense eyes, but she was staring at her with such hunger that Clarke nearly forgot why she was doing this, and unspeakable images began forcing their way into her mind, causing a warmth to grow below her navel.

 _Focus._ She told herself, and a bold idea urged her to continue.

She stole a glance to make sure the others weren't watching, and she raised her other hand, dipping a delicate finger into the whipped cream, making sure half of it was covered, and then put it into her mouth to suck it clean. She dared not look at Lexa as she did this, and instead kept her eyes down.

"Is your milkshake good, Clarke?" Lexa suddenly asked, which for some reason seemed to catch everyone's attention, and they all looked over at her with her finger half-way out of her mouth.

Once again, she was drowning in embarrassment, even if the others didn't know what she was doing, but Lexa certainly did, calling her out on it, and she quickly pulled her finger out. Anger quickly followed the wave, which —of course— made it apparent on her cheeks.

" _Yes,"_ she said with a hard voice, and suddenly couldn't be more happy to see Maya approaching them with their food.

She decided enough was enough, and kept her attention focused on Raven and the others when they conversed, ignoring Lexa even though she hardly spoke in their conversation anyway.

Why was this girl so mysterious? Why was she this way?

Clarke couldn't stop asking herself these questions and all of the ones previous, distracting her mind from the conversation from time to time, but she couldn't help it. She almost felt like she needed to know Lexa, just to understand her, because she didn't, and Clarke didn't like when she didn't know things. Especially if it involved her.

They finally finished their food, having received their checks from Maya at one point before they finished, and Raven began to repeatedly tap on Clarke's thigh. "Move, I gotta pee," she said, and Clarke quickly scooted out of the booth.

"I do too, unfortunately," Anya said, but there was no malice in her voice.

"Well hurry up, _slowpoke_." Raven waited for her, and they headed towards the bathroom together as Maya came back to collect their money and checks.

"No, don't!" Octavia suddenly said, but Lincoln shook his head.

"Shut up, I'm paying for you," he said sternly, and Octavia sighed with a blissful smile on her face.

"Fine," she said, giving in, and put her wallet away.

Clarke had decided to pay with cash since her order wasn't very expensive, and was putting her own wallet away when she caught Lexa practically whispering in Maya's ear out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn't hear or see what she was saying to her because Lexa's back was turned to her.

Maya smiled and nodded, and headed towards the registers as Lexa turned back around. Clarke wanted to question her, but she didn't, because she told herself she didn't care to know.

Maya finally came back before Anya and Raven were even out from the bathroom, and handed Clarke back her receipt, along with what she thought was her change, but it seemed too much.

"Oh, uhm, hold on," Clarke said with a creased brow, counting the money and realizing it was exactly how much she had given her in the first place. "I think there was a mistake. You gave me back all of my money," she said, looking up at Maya confused.

"I know," Maya said, smiling rather mischievously, and Clarke caught the quick glance she shot towards Lexa, before walking away.

If Clarke was going to continue blushing like this, she was going to burn her cheeks off, and she stared at Lexa, who simply stared back.

Annoyance filled her as it became apparent that Lexa had paid for her. She didn't want her to make it up to Clarke, or to do any sort of nice gesture, and yet, she still managed to do so.

What was she to say? Thank her? She didn't want to, but of course, it would be rude not to, and she would look like an ass if she got upset at Lexa for paying for her when Lincoln just paid for Octavia.

Still! She didn't want Lexa to pay for her!

 _Ugh, why is she so confusing and—and...ugh!_ Clarke yelled internally, keeping her jaw clamped shut.

Before she could try to force herself to squeeze out a thank you however, Raven and Anya finally approached the table, seeming to be in the midst of a heated argument.

" _Boom_ is _not_ a boring show!" Raven said loudly, and Anya rolled her eyes.

" _It is_. It's the same thing over and over. A bad guy shows up, threatens the world, they struggle to find a way to defeat them, and just when you think the bad guy is going to win, they find some sacrificing solution. It's predictable and boring, and too much explosions."

"No way. _Tree Warriors_ is boring! There's barely an action and _way_ too much dialogue to even be considered an action show," Raven spat back, crossing her arms.

"Whoa, whoa. Are you guys seriously arguing about tv shows?" Octavia asked as they got up to leave.

"She started it," Raven said as they gathered their stuff.

"—Bye guys," Maya waved as they exited, and Clarke gave her a wave of goodbye while the others were too distracted with Raven and Anya's argument.

"Did not. We were just having a discussion," Anya said dryly, pulling out a cigarette once they were outside.

"Until you began insulting one of my favorite shows!" Raven said angrily.

"It's a dumb show. Simple as that," Anya shrugged as she headed for their car, causing Raven to shake her head.

"Ugh, whatever. I'm done," she said irritated, and immediately turned, heading for her jeep. "Let's go!" she called out, not bothering to turn around.

"Uhm, okay..." Octavia said awkwardly, and Clarke realized her and Lincoln were holding hands, but she figured now was not the time to bring up the bet between the two.

She stood there trying not to look at Lexa because she was still upset, and when she looked over in Octavia's direction, she was staring at Clarke out of the corner of her eye with raised brows.

" _Oh,_ uh...nice meeting you Lincoln. Bye," Clarke immediately said, catching the hint, and she began to head towards the jeep.

Raven had somehow made it all the way there and was already sitting inside, and before Clarke could reach it, she heard her voice.

"Clarke, wait," Lexa said, and she stopped.

She took a quick, deep breath, and turned around.

"What, Lexa?" she asked, but didn't wait. " _Thank you_. Is that what you want me to say? Because I didn't want you to do that," she said rather harshly before Lexa could say anything. She didn't ask her to pay for her food. She didn't want her to do something nice for her, only to play with her again. She just wished they had a simple direction, not this back and forth...whatever it was that was going on.

She was done for tonight.

Lexa stared at her for a moment, and Clarke waited for some sort of argument to spring like Raven and Anya's had. She almost wished for it, to finally end this, or at least know what direction this was going.

However, Lexa smiled, but it was soft and light.

"Good night, Clarke."

She then turned and simply walked away, leaving Clarke feeling confused all over again.

She didn't understand.

* * *

 ** _There ya have it!_**

 ** _I know it's moving a bit slow, but hang in tight! Some rivalry and perhaps some sabotage may or may not ensue, you'll just have to wait and find out! ;)_**

 ** _Also, if there are any shows called Boom or Tree Warriors, they are not affiliated with this story. Just names I made up for the story :p_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Finally! Another chapter! This one actually turned out to be A LOT longer than I had intended, so I broke it into two chapters :)**_

 _ **Excuse any mistakes and enjoy!**_

* * *

Octavia had finally slid into the front seat of the jeep while Raven was practically ranting to Clarke, who chose to sit in the back this time.

"I mean, it was fine up until she said my favorite show was stupid. That's where I draw the line. No one insults my love for action and explosions!" she said angrily. "And there's much more to it than that, anyway!"

"Right," Clarke simply said, her mind only half paying attention to Raven. She knew Raven wasn't that extremely pissed anyway, just offended, and a bit on the dramatic side. She, on the other hand, wasn't sure what she was feeling.

"Well...uhm," Octavia began when Raven had quieted down and began to pull out of the parking lot. She looked slightly uneasy, perhaps even guilty. "I hope you guys had a good time?"

"It would have been if that _bonehead_ didn't—"

"—We _did_ , Octavia," Clarke cut Raven off, who gave her a hard look, but then noticed the light frown Octavia was giving the dashboard and quickly understood. "Did you and Lincoln have a good time?"

"We did." she seemed to perk up slightly at the mention of his name.

"Yeah, he seems pretty into you, eh?" Raven teased with a nudging of her elbow, and finally, Octavia smiled bashfully.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Get it, girl!" Raven said, causing her to laugh.

"I really do like him, you guys," she said, unable to stop smiling. "And I'm sorry I didn't warn you sooner about him bringing his step-sister and her cousin."

"Wait, which one's the step-sister and which one's the cousin?" Raven asked, glancing over at her. Clarke was curious too. She just thought they were friends.

"Anya is his step-sister. Her dad is Gustus, and Lexa is Anya's cousin," Octavia explained.

"Wait, so they _all_ live together?" Raven asked the same question Clarke was wondering, and Octavia nodded.

It never occurred to Clarke up until this moment that Lexa was living with her uncle. Why? What happened to her parents? Did she not have siblings? She wanted to ask Octavia, but didn't want to come off as interested in Lexa because she had a feeling Raven would tease her about it, nor was she certain if Octavia even knew anyway.

"Huh." Raven nodded as they turned down a residential road. "Well, they're not bad. It was actually entertaining, fighting with Anya," she teased, and without warning, she hit the brakes, causing the other two to jerk forward. Luckily, they were the only ones on the road.

"Wait!" Raven said, grabbing Octavia's arm, her eyes wide.

"What! What happened?" Octavia nearly yelled, hands pressed against the dashboard with frightened eyes as she quickly looked around. Clarke's heart was nearly in her throat.

" _Did you guys kiss?"_

"Raven!" Clarke snapped angrily for scaring them half to death, but she ignored her.

"No..?" Octavia looked confused. "Why?"

"Did you hold hands?" Raven asked, and Octavia stared at her for a moment, confused. "Answer me, woman!"

"Yes! Yes!" Octavia nodded vigorously, and it seemed she had forgotten what took place earlier. _"Why,_ Raven?"

"That opinionated jerk owes me five bucks!" Raven practically yelled, and suddenly, she hit the gas, throwing the other two back into their seats.

"Call Lincoln," she demanded, but Octavia didn't need to be told twice to talk to him.

" _Hello?"_

"Hey, it's Octa—"

Raven snatched the phone before she could finish, earning a _"Hey!"_ and a pout from Octavia.

"Where are you?"

" _Just down the road on fifth. Why?"_ Clarke could hear Lincoln's confused voice, but Raven hung up.

"Raven! I wanted to talk to him!"

"Shush. He'll probably call back anyway," she said to her, obviously on a mission, and tossed Octavia her phone back before making a U-turn.

Clarke hung on for dear life in the back seat as Raven sped down the deserted road, and just as she had predicted, Octavia's phone began ringing.

"Hey, sorry," Octavia answered. "Uhm...yeah...Raven, she's...well..."

Clarke wasn't even sure how they had managed to catch up, but suddenly they were pulling up beside them as they were waiting for a red light.

"Hey!" Raven yelled, rolling down her window, and Anya gave her a strange look from the passenger seat. Her window was already down due to the fact that she was smoking.

"What?"

"You owe me five bucks jerk face, and you know it!" Raven yelled, and Anya stared at her for a moment.

She then looked down, and it seemed like she was reaching for something in her pocket. Clarke was surprised she was just going to give in so easily and hand the money over, until she raised her hand back up and gave Raven the finger, but it was upside down.

"Hey, a bet is a bet!" Raven snapped, trying to keep the smile off of her face.

"I'm sorry, can you not hear this? Do you want me to turn it up for you?" Anya asked, and turned her hand around, giving Raven the proper, upright middle finger with a smirk on her face.

Octavia clamped a hand over her mouth, and Clarke bit her lip, both trying not to laugh as Raven's mouth fell open.

"I can't believe you just _Breakfast Club_ -ed me!"

Then, to everyone's surprise, Raven began laughing, and Clarke saw a true smile begin to appear on Anya's face before Raven sped off, turning right down the road and leaving them at the light.

"Raven, you are seriously nuts!" Clarke said, shaking her head.

"Exciting, you mean. And thank you," Raven said, grinning proudly.

"Anya said your show still sucks," Octavia suddenly said, pulling the phone from her mouth.

"Well, _Raven_ said she still owes her five bucks regardless," she said happily as she referred to herself in third person.

As if Clarke couldn't get any more confused tonight. Weren't they _just_ in a heated argument moments ago and Raven was ranting about her? And now she was laughing at Anya's response? She even said it was fun fighting with her. How was fighting with anyone fun? Was it all just teasing?

Sometimes, Clarke just didn't understand her friend.

Octavia finally hung up with Lincoln after Raven's constant teasing and kissing noises she was doing in the background, and they pulled up to Octavia's house, but remained seated in her jeep.

"So, despite all of tonight, Clarke," Raven turned in her seat to look at her. "What was up with Seductress Green-Eyes?"

"What do you mean?" Clarke asked, her brow furrowing.

"Well, if she wasn't staring at you like a Delicious Clarke-Pie, then she was staring at the table like it was telling her a sad story."

Clarke immediately recalled the recent moments in the diner, and she knew exactly what Raven was talking about. Whenever Lexa wasn't paying attention to the others' conversation, or trying to converse with Clarke —which she now felt slight guilt for purposefully being short with her— she had noticed Lexa's off distance staring. It wasn't much like when someone zones out due to exhaustion, it was more like she was preoccupied with unpleasant thoughts, and her features, especially her eyes, had sold her out. They looked distant and sad, but when Lexa had caught Clarke staring at her, a sort of coldness or a wall came over them, before it was all replaced with her charming smirk and smugness. Was she hiding something? She was glad she wasn't the only one who noticed, because now it gave her a reason to think about Lexa more.

"I'm not sure, but I do know what you're talking about," Clarke said, and looked to Octavia. "Has Lincoln told you anything about her?"

"Not really." Octavia shrugged. "I mean, I didn't ask him much about her. Though, I have wondered why she lives with them, because from what he has told me, she didn't always live with them."

"Did something happen?" Clarke tried not to seem _too_ interested, but the words practically came rushing out.

"I don't know. He just said that shortly after Lexa moved in with them is when they moved here."

Clarke refrained herself from nearly interrogating Octavia, because it truly seemed like she didn't know much more than that, and her mind began to wander as to why she moved in with her relatives.

Why did Clarke want to know so badly? Was it perhaps that if she knew Lexa's past, it would make more sense why she was the way that she is?

"And correct me if I'm wrong, but was she trying to flirt with Maya at one point?" Raven then asked the question that had been sitting silently in the back of Clarke's mind.

It seemed like she had, but why? And why afterward did she immediately look to Clarke like she was expecting something? Was she expecting some sort of reaction from her?

 _What did she think, I'd be jealous?_ Clarke thought ridiculously to herself.

She didn't care what Lexa did, and with whom. She had no business or involvement of that sort with her. She couldn't care less what Lexa did...

"Was she trying to make you jealous or something?" Octavia curiously asked Clarke as if she had read her mind, and Clarke rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, but if that's what she was trying to do, it didn't work. Why would I feel jealous? Because she kissed me _once_? Please," she scoffed, waving it away.

 _But you did._ A voice spoke up from the back of her mind, and she inwardly scowled at it. —Alright, so maybe she _did_ feel a...'flicker' when Lexa had purposefully flirted with Maya in front of her, but it was probably just anger. She knew Lexa was just trying to get her to react, and that only caused her annoyance and anger. Also because she was using her friend to do it. It didn't make her jealous. She wasn't jealous.

...Right?

"Speaking of kissing, did you guys make out in the bathroom again?" Raven wiggled her brows, and Clarke shook her head with a roll of her eyes.

"No."

"Then, what were you guys doing in there? Huh?" Raven pressed on, teasing her.

"What most people do in the bathroom, Raven. Use it," Clarke dismissed her. She wasn't going to tell them, especially her, what really happened. She wouldn't hear the end of it. "She did apologize though."

"Well, good. At least she did something right." Raven nodded.

"She also secretly paid for my food," Clarke said with light annoyance in her tone.

"Aww, that's sweet," Octavia smiled, but Clarke glared at her, and she dropped her smile. "I mean, _psh...why...lame._ " Octavia shook her head, trying to appear annoyed by it as well and failing miserably.

"Was she trying to redeem herself, or something?" Raven raised a brow, and Clarke shrugged.

"I guess so."

"—Wait," Octavia spoke up again. "I'm confused. I get her kissing you and not telling you the truth first was not a good basic first impression, but I mean, she was doing it to chase Murphy away, right? Which is what _you_ wanted," she pointed out, raising her brows. "So, is that really such a big deal? They seem like cool people. Does it really matter that much that you guys are competition to not be friends outside of that? Why this sudden intense feud?" she asked Clarke, and then turned stern eyes to Raven. "And you seriously can't be fighting with Anya because she doesn't like your show."

"—Hey don't look at me like that! And it's not because she doesn't like my show, it's because she insulted it! _Anyway_ , back to Clarke," she continued before Octavia could speak again, "It's because Seductress Green-Eyes wants to get into her pants, and Clarke wants it too but she can't betray her father," Raven said dramatically, and Clarke smacked her arm.

"Ow," she laughed.

"No," Clarke glared at Raven, "I did want Murphy to go away, but I didn't ask for her to kiss me. And I talked about her uncle, and how I thought he didn't have any family and she said nothing. Why lie? —Or, not tell the truth? Why be so...closed up and secretive? Plus, she just keeps...trying to get under my skin."

"How so?" Octavia asked, tilting her head.

"W-Well," Clarke stammered a bit, fighting the blush. She couldn't say by using her attractiveness, that just seemed silly. "She just does."

Now that she thought about it though, it all seemed quite childish. She couldn't help but think that maybe she _was_ being a bit too extreme. However, they say people form a judgment of who others are based on first impressions. Still though, that kiss was not her first impression. It was a big impression, but not the first. She had talked to her prior to that, and it was easy and nice, even though Lexa said nothing about herself, and that made Clarke want to get to know more about her. But then she went and kissed her, toying with Clarke and confusing her. Was Clarke just holding onto that, and not allowing herself to actually get to know Lexa? But there was also her father… She knew he wouldn't be happy if she were involved in any way with that family, seeing as he already had a rather great dislike for Gustus.

However, her confusing thoughts were interrupted when her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out.

 _ **Mom: I hope you're heading this way, Clarke. You have five minutes and I was serious.**_

 _ **Clarke: No worries, Mom, I'm down the road. We're dropping Octavia off.**_

"I don't know," Clarke finally shook her head, becoming too confused. "But anyway, that was my mom. I gotta get home," she sighed, putting her phone away, and they said their goodbyes to Octavia as she exited the jeep.

Once Raven dropped her off, and she made it in time before her mother could give her any sort of scolding, she headed upstairs to get ready for bed.

As she laid there checking her social media on her laptop, an idea slid into her mind. She thought against it, but who would really know? She was the only one in her room…

She finally typed in her name, feeling her annoyance rise at herself, but she couldn't stop it. Curiosity was definitely winning the battle.

Her heart jumped slightly as she finally found her profile. Her eyes took in all the details of her picture, and though it was gorgeous as ever, it seemed like older picture, maybe by just a few years. She was smiling in it, but this was actually a _genuine_ smile. It reached her striking green eyes, something Clarke hadn't witnessed in person yet. She looked... _happy_ in it. She bit her lip as she hovered the cursor over her name, and finally pushed herself to click on it, anxiously waiting for the page to load.

 _Stupid, slow Wi-Fi._ She cursed at it as the page was blank for a few moments, only increasing her eagerness to see more about Lexa.

Finally, it loaded, but disappointment crashed down on Clarke like a bucket of water as the privacy notice of her profile splayed out across the screen, keeping her out. She should have known that Lexa would be just as mysteriously private on social media as she was in person. Why would she have thought Lexa would display personal information for just anyone to see?

 _Damnit._ She sighed, and shut her laptop with irritation, putting it aside.

She shook her head and got under the covers. She just needed to get this girl out of her head, and she decided the best way to do that now was to go to sleep.

* * *

"Morning, Sweetie," her father greeted her when she entered the restaurant. Already, it was bustling with early morning business, so she quickly tied her apron around her waist and got to work.

Her father had come a long way with his restaurant. When Clarke was young, she remembered it looking just like any other restaurant, with regular red booths, white walls, and average overhead lights, but over time he had slowly upgraded it to looking like a sort of 'spaceship' styled restaurant, for a lack of a better term. Clarke's father gave her the chance to paint space inspired pictures to line the walls, and even a large celestial mural that many complimented on. He said the reason for this theme was because of his grandfather, and his love for space and astronomy-like things. He would tell him stories and facts about space and they would build spaceship models together when her father was a boy, thus inspiring him and in honor of his grandfather when he decided to own a restaurant.

As people became accustomed to the themed restaurant, they began to refer to the crew as the 'Arkers'. Clarke never knew where the nickname came from other than a play on words from the restaurant name, but it became a part of them, even in times when the town held community events such as cook-offs, sports, and such that they would participate in.

Clarke suddenly wondered if Gustus and his Grounders Steakhouse crew would end up participating in such events. She had seen Dante's Corner workers participate before, and it would only make sense that Gustus would to gain popularity and become a part of the community.

"Alright, there are the checks whenever you guys are ready." Clarke smiled to the table of people she was serving. They had a pretty decent afternoon rush, and she was glad she was not in the kitchen today as some of the orders she had taken were quite picky. Now, it was time for a short break.

She went out to the back where she found Jasper and Monty.

"Monty, why do you take smoke breaks with Jasper if you don't even smoke?" Clarke teased as she sat down next to them on the small cement ledge by the door.

"Oh, no, no, no. _He_ takes smoke breaks, _I_ take phone breaks," he said with a smirk, and turned his attention back to his phone.

"Does that even count?" Clarke raised a brow, and Jasper nodded.

"Why yes it does. Technology Addiction is a real thing, Clarke. Just look at him," Jasper teased, raising his brows at Monty.

"Shut up. I'm just checking game stats," Monty said, though his voice sounded distracted. "And anyway, why do _you_ come out here, Clarke?" he added accusingly, but in a playful manner as his eyes remained glued to his phone.

"I'm taking an air break, which is also addictive," she said, and they chuckled at her.

She decided to check her phone for any messages, and noticed the battery was dangerously low.

"I'll see you guys later, I gotta charge my phone," she said and stood up. They waved goodbye to her and she headed towards the front parking lot where she had parked.

After she plugged her phone in she stood up out of the car and glanced across the street to see people coming out of Grounders, and she found herself staring at the building. Their grand opening banner still displayed for everyone to see. She wondered what it looked like inside, but of course she wouldn't be going in any time soon...or ever, possibly. What was their food like? Did they serve drinks as well? What did Lexa do? Was she a cook, or a waitress, or both? She began to imagine her taking orders, using her charms to get tips.

"I'm curious about it, too," her father suddenly said, and she looked over confused. He was staring at the building as well. He couldn't have been talking about Lexa...

"But don't worry, we've got years on them and loyal customers. They don't stand a chance against us," he said, and she finally understood.

"Right," Clarke said, returning her eyes to the building, her mind taking a walk to the "what if" path.

Surely they couldn't run them out of business, Clarke wasn't afraid of that, but what if they did become a more popular restaurant? What if people started talking about _them_ and choosing _them_ over her father's restaurant? It would upset her father, and she hated to see him upset.

Just then, Raven pulled up and parked her jeep, getting ready for her shift.

"Spying, are we? Trying to figure out those Grounder tactics?" she teased.

"Nah, just observing. Gustus Woods better hope he knows what he's getting himself into. We are the Griffins, and Griffins don't back down without a fight," he said proudly. "I'm thinking of starting a 'Kids-Eat-Free' night on Wednesday nights, just to draw some attention this way. It's about time we start doing something new anyway. What do you think, Clarke?" he looked to her.

"You're asking me?" her brow creased, and he nodded.

"Of course. You're just as much as a part of this restaurant as I am," he said, and she felt the weight of duty become slightly heavier.

Suddenly, they saw as Gustus Woods exited with another man, nodding and shaking his hand before he left, and looked over at the three. He stared with a bit of a smug smile on his face.

"Enjoying the view, Griffin?" he called out, and Clarke's father laughed, tension immediately seeping off of him.

"I used to!" he shot back with what sounded like a friendly tone, but they all knew otherwise.

Suddenly, Clarke's stomach clenched as Lexa came out, but her eyes caught sight of Clarke as well, and they stared at one another.

"Well, why don't you come on over and have a look around? I'm sure you could get a few new ideas,"

Gustus said, and though he was smiling, Clarke could tell it was challenging; bringing a defensiveness to rise inside of her, especially with Lexa now staring at her.

"No, thanks, but you're more than welcome to see what real business looks like around here," he said with just as much amusement, and Gustus laughed heartily.

"You're a good man, Griffin!" he pointed with a chuckle, and he headed inside, directing Lexa along with him; leaving her father to clench his jaw with a tight smile.

"I think a kids' night would be a good idea. Raven and I will get started on a flyer." Clarke finally nodded, feeding off of her father's defense and pride. She needed to support her father, and stand by him because it was the right thing to do. They did need to bring attention to their restaurant to show them how much of an influence they had on the community and how great her father's restaurant truly was, and not let Grounders think they were threatened by them in the slightest.

"Come on, let's head inside," her father said, turning and walking back towards the restaurant.

She took one last look at the building, the sensation of eyes still on her, before heading inside to finish her shift, as Raven started hers.

After a steady hour, they finally reached the 'after lunch, before dinner ' slow period, and Clarke stood by the bar, having wiped all of her tables, as Raven cleaned a few of the used glasses.

"Your dad's pretty uptight about Grounders," Raven pointed out, and Clarke sighed.

"Yeah, he can get pretty competitive. Remember last year at the Fall Festival when he got a little crazy over the three-legged race? He basically dragged me after I tripped." she shook her head, remembering the embarrassment she felt, and Raven began to laugh as she recalled the memory. "I couldn't get the grass stains out of the butt of my jeans and had to walk around the rest of the day like that."

"Well, you don't think he'll get all crazy, right? I mean, they _are_ just another restaurant. There's always going to be competition somewhere," Raven said in a hushed tone.

"True, and I don't know. If Gustus doesn't try to get a rise out of him. This place is his pride and joy," Clarke said, just wondering what would happen if her father got out of control to compete with Gustus. They just barely opened and already he was thinking of ways to be on top. "But, I can only be supportive, because I'm his daughter." she nodded, feeling the slight obligation.

Of course, she was supportive either way just like anyone else who worked here because they all quite liked and respected her father, but she knew it meant that much more to him coming from her.

"Well, should it come to anything that involves acts of sabotage or foul play, count me in." Raven winked, and Clarke chuckled.

"I doubt it would come to that."

* * *

So far, things had seemed pretty well around the restaurant business as a few days had gone by. Clarke hadn't seen or heard from Lexa, except for passing her a few times to and from work, thankfully in her car so she wasn't required to speak to her. They hadn't started the 'Kids-Eat-Free-Night' just yet as her father was waiting for their next truck delivery, ordering more of the kids' menu food items, and even went as far as buying coloring pages —space themed, of course— and crayons so they could be more prepared for it.

School was coming up quickly as they had just a few weeks left, and Clarke was going to enjoy the last of her summer as much as she could, even slightly begging her dad to give her a few less hours at work, which he surprisingly granted. She was going into her Senior year after all, and she wanted to make it a memorable one by ending the summer with fun and adventure and friends.

A few times she tried to get Raven and Octavia to join her on a few activities, but either Octavia opted out, leaving just her and Raven, or Lincoln came along, —which she didn't mind Lincoln coming every now and then, but she didn't feel quite comfortable talking about all of the things she wanted to with him around. She just wanted a best friends' night, but she wasn't going to keep Octavia from Lincoln. They seemed to have formed a deep connection, and she was happy for her.

She was lying on her bed doing nothing in particular except surfing the web when she felt her phone vibrate.

 _ **Octavia: So, you guys know how I just wanted to have a little birthday party, nothing too big?**_

 _ **Clarke: Yeah…**_

 _ **Raven: ?**_

 _ **Octavia: Well… I think I may want to invite a few more people over on the weekend after my birthday to celebrate instead.**_

 _ **Raven: Let me guess, you want Lincoln to come? ;) You're not very sneaky, O.**_

 _ **Clarke: Yeah, O. But wait, will your mom be alright with that?**_

 _ **Octavia: My mom's going out of town. She said yes, but she also said Bellamy is in charge so he'll be there. Ugh.**_

 _ **Clarke: That's not so bad.**_

 _ **Raven: Yeah, he's usually pretty chill when we're all at parties.**_

 _ **Octavia: Yeah, because I'm with you guys. But with Lincoln? He'll be watching me all night! :(**_

 _ **Raven: Invite Gina over, she has a thing for him, maybe she'll keep him preoccupied!**_

 _ **Octavia: Maybe that would work… Also…**_

Clarke waited to see what Octavia was going to say next, but when it felt like too much time had passed, she responded.

 _ **Clarke: What, O?**_

 _ **Raven: Spit it out, girl!**_

 _ **Octavia: ...Anya and Lexa would probably be there…**_

Clarke's stomach slightly sunk.

 _ **Clarke: Have fun at your party, O.**_

 _ **Raven: No, Clarkenator! I can't fight them alone!**_

 _ **Octavia: Clarke, please! And hush, Rae. Why can't we all just be civil at least?**_

 _ **Clarke: I don't know, O…**_

 _ **Octavia: For my birthday..? Please..? :(**_

Clarke sighed as she stared at the pleading text. She couldn't do that to Octavia, especially since it would be to celebrate her birthday… Maybe she could just deal with it for one night.

 _ **Clarke: I suppose. -_-**_

 _ **Octavia: YAY! I love you! You're the best!**_

 _ **Raven: Hell yes! —Hey wait! I thought you said I was the best?**_

 _ **Octavia: Shut up, Reyes.**_

 _ **Clarke: But we'll have to tell my parents it's still just a small slumber party. My mom would probably not let me go to a party with alcohol and lots of people.**_

 _ **Octavia: How do you know there will be alcohol?**_

 _ **Clarke: One, Raven AND Bellamy will be there. Two, your mom will be gone. Duh, there will be alcohol.**_

 _ **Raven: Fair point. ;)**_

 _ **Octavia: No argument there. So it's set! Next weekend, party time bitches!**_

Clarke sighed again as she dropped her phone next to her and looked up at her laptop screen, staring at the only picture of an impassive Lexa in Anya's —surprisingly not private— profile page photos.

As she thought about being in the same presence as Lexa, however, her stomach did a small flip. How would things go this time?

"Is that the girl you researched a bunch of times?" a voice suddenly spoke behind her, causing her to jump and shut her laptop.

"Aden!" she snapped, turning to him and sitting up. "Haven't you heard of knocking!"

She threw a pillow at him, causing him to flinch and laugh as it hit him. She was about to yell at him to go away, when a thought suddenly burst into her brain.

"Wait a minute...how did you—? Did you break into my laptop!" she yelled at him, and jumped up off of the bed to tackle and prepare to torture him, but he took off running. "Get back here you little twerp!"

He laughed as he made it to the bathroom and shut the door in her face, locking it.

"Why were you on my laptop you brat!" she yelled through the door, still trying to get it open even though she knew it was a no-go.

"I had to look something up for a game and mine was updating!" he yelled back. "Now go away unless you want to hear—"

"—Don't finish that sentence!" she yelled back and immediately backed away from the door, disgusted at the thought. She returned to her room and shut the door, feeling a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment that he had snooped and discovered how many times Clarke had tried to look up Lexa through different social medias.

She was just doing it for research purposes, that's all.

 _Yeah, sure._ That annoying voice spoke up, and she pushed it away as she fell face down on her bed.

Why couldn't she just stop thinking about her?

* * *

"Why do you insist on us coming with you to social events?" Anya asked Lincoln from her bed as they all hung out in her room. She was lying on her back filing her nails, as he sat on the floor watching her TV, and Lexa sitting in her computer chair.

"Because, Octavia wanted me to invite you and I think it would be good for all of us. For the both of you especially," he said, leaning his back against the bed.

"Good for us?" Anya questioned with a raise of her brow. "How?"

"To make new friends here. We'll be going to school with most of these people in a few weeks, you know," he pointed out with a sigh.

"We don't need to make new friends. It's not like we really had many friends back in crappy Tondisi anyway," Anya sighed, returning to her filing.

" _You_ didn't have many friends because you're mean," Lincoln returned. "I had a few."

She stared hard at him for a moment before kicking her blanket over his head, causing him to chuckle as he pulled it off.

"Just come," he said gently, turning back to look at her.

"Only if Lexa goes," she said, examining her nails.

He turned to look at Lexa, and she simply stared back at him.

"Will you go?" he asked, giving her a slightly pleading look. "Clarke will be there," he added, and she tilted her head.

"Perhaps."

Anya sighed. "Well, obviously she would say yes to that. Fine, I guess we're going."

Lincoln smiled and turned back towards the TV. "Don't forget to bring money," he said, flipping through the channels, and Anya gave the back of his head a confused look.

"What for?"

"Because you still owe Raven five bucks."

She threw the blanket over him again, and he chuckled.

"I'm not going, then," she said, as he pulled the blanket off once more.

However, Lincoln turned towards Lexa with a knowing look, and pulled up his phone as he made a call.

"Hey, Octavia? Yeah, we're all going," he said as a matter-of-fact, and Lexa smirked.

"I said I'm not going!" Anya said loudly, making sure Octavia could hear her through the phone before she got up and walked out of the room.

"Yeah, that was her. She's not being serious," he chuckled into the phone.

"I'm not deaf, you big oaf!" Anya yelled out somewhere in the hall, and he smiled.

"Yup, Anya will be there."

As Lincoln continued to talk to Octavia, Lexa stared at the desk as she thought about the party, and Clarke being there. Would she still be upset? Perhaps she should be more composed with her. And if she didn't want to talk to her, Lexa could only acquiesce to her decision, because she was learning that Clarke was someone who wanted respect, and she was beginning to admire her for that.

She smiled inwardly to herself as she was slowly discovering more things about Clarke, and it only drew her further into her.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Okay, so this second part I feel like it may have been rushed, or didn't flow well, but eh, I figured I'd post it anyway!**_

 ** _Again, excuse any mistakes, I hope it flows well for you all, and enjoy!_**

* * *

Time seemed to have gone by and before Clarke knew it, she was getting ready for Octavia's party.

"You seem rather dressed up for a 'slumber party'," Aden said, leaning against the frame of her doorway with his arms crossed.

Clarke sighed, "Do you _ever_ knock?" she asked, irritated as she gathered things like pajamas and clean clothes.

"Why? Afraid I'm going to catch you spying again?" he smirked, and she threw another pillow at him, missing as he dodged out of the way and left her scowling.

Her mother appeared in the doorway, watching slightly confused as Aden ran away. "What's this about spying?"

"Nothing, he's just being a brat," Clarke said, hoping she wouldn't press it, and looked around, making sure she had everything.

"Well, don't you look nice," Abby commented.

Yes, Clarke did do herself up a bit, but she also tried to keep it casual.

"Aren't you just going over to spend the night?" Abby raised a brow, and Clarke felt slight panic. Had she somehow heard there was going to be a party?

"Well, I'm sure Octavia would want to take pictures, and I know she invited just a few more people over..." Clarke said, making a face, unable to completely lie to her mother.

"How many?" she gave her a stern look. It wasn't that her mother was completely strict, but she did have limits.

"Just like, her boyfriend and his cousin and step-sister. Not many." she tried to wave off nonchalantly.

Her mother stared at her for a moment, and Clarke smiled innocently, hoping she would buy it.

"Alright, but don't you girls stay up too late tonight. You have to start training yourself to go to bed early for school," she warned, and Clarke nodded vigorously.

"Of course, Mom. I gotta get going soon, Raven's coming."

"You're not driving there?" Abby questioned.

"Nah, Raven offered since I'm on the way," Clarke said, even though it wasn't _entirely_ truthful, it was still the truth. The other half was just to give more people a space to park without hers and Raven's vehicles both taking up the driveway.

Her phone vibrated, and she read that Raven was outside.

"She's here, gotta go," Clarke said quickly,wanting to get out of the room from the pressure of her mother filling up the air.

"Alright, be careful," she said, and Clarke nodded as she hugged her.

"Will do. Love you, Mom. Bye!" she grabbed her things and hurried down the stairs. "Tell Dad good night for me!" she called back, and slipped out of the door.

"Woo! Party time!" Raven yelled out as Clarke practically ran to her jeep.

"Keep it down! My mom's already suspicious enough!" Clarke hushed her as she got in.

"I mean, woo slumber party with just Clarke and Octavia!" Raven yelled out into the air with her arms up, and smiled innocently at Clarke. "Better?"

Clarke tried to glare at her, but she couldn't force her smile away and she shook her head. "I hate you. Let's go before my mom actually finds out from _you_."

Raven put the jeep in gear and they took off towards Octavia's, Clarke feeling the jittery anxiousness from social gatherings, but also with the possibility of seeing Lexa.

They pulled up to the house, already seeing a few cars, and Raven parked them into the grass.

"I thought she said just a few more people?" Clarke questioned, and Raven shrugged as they got out and headed inside.

There was music blaring from down in the basement, where a few people were filtering in and out. They immediately put their bags up in Octavia's room, then went down to find her, having to pass through a few people.

"Hey guys!" Octavia popped up to them, excited. She already had a drink in hand.

"O, I thought you said you were just going to invite a _few_ more people?" Clarke questioned after they hugged.

"Well, I needed alcohol, and Jasper said his cousin could get it for him, so I invited Jasper, who asked if Maya and Monty could come, who told Harper, who Monroe overheard, who told Miller, who asked if his boyfriend Bryan could come, who—"

"—Okay, O! We get it, word spread," Raven cut her off, chuckling.

"Anyway, let's party!" Octavia said excitedly, and dragged them down towards the basement.

There was a table set up for what looked like beer pong, and another table with an assortment of drinks and snacks; a Foosball table where Bellamy and his friends were playing along with a dart board not too far, and chairs about the room. The basement was big enough that it wasn't so crowded, but there was still quite a lot of people.

"Where's Lincoln?" Clarke asked as her and Raven made themselves drinks.

"He'll be here soon, he said he's waiting for Anya to finish getting ready." Octavia smiled rather widely, obviously excited about Lincoln's appearance.

"Of course she wants to be fashionably late." Raven rolled her eyes and Clarke smirked.

"Be nice, Reyes," Octavia warned, dropping her smile, and Raven gave her a shocked look.

"That wasn't mean! I was just stating a fact," she said, raising her chin.

"Still, it's my birthday party, and my birthday wish is for my two best friends to be nice and civil to everyone here," Octavia said, her face set, and they both nodded vigorously as if they were two children being scolded.

"Yes ma'am."

Octavia headed off to make sure everything was still in order; greeting the newcomers, offering them drinks, and being the gracious host, while Raven made her way towards Bellamy and his friends. She was always a bit of a tomboy in the way that she liked hanging with the boys, watching football and playing video games with them, but she also had her girly side that involved chick flicks and dressing up. She was a versatile being, and naturally the life of the party when she soon had people gathered around to watch her and Bellamy battle it out in a game of Foosball.

Clarke decided to go mingle with the others and drink, still feeling quite jittery. She just wanted to relax and have fun, and she knew alcohol was the sure way to let loose, even though Jasper kept offering her something 'more' to relax with.

"If I'm feeling frisky I'll come find you," she said to him, chuckling, and he shrugged.

"Alright, your call." he smirked, turning to go outside with Monty, leaving her to shake her head at them. Sometimes she wondered if Maya was too good for him, but in the same breathe, she was good _for_ him, because he had calmed down a lot more around her.

She eventually had to refill her cup, amazed at just how much alcohol Octavia had managed to accumulate, and she turned around just in time to see Lincoln, Anya, and Lexa coming down the stairs, stopping her in mid-drink. Her heart nearly jumped into her throat, halting her breath as she caught site of Lexa descending the last few steps. Her hair was down in soft waves, framing her evenly smooth face. She wore a simple black, low neck, long sleeve shirt, and perfectly fitting black pants. Black truly was her color.

Clarke couldn't take her eyes away from her, watching as her relaxed eyes swept the room, taking in her surroundings until they landed on her, and those wonderful butterflies danced in delight. It suddenly felt like everyone else was moving around her, as if she were the Earth; her gravitational pull keeping them close, but never touching her as she moved. She saw the faintest smirk appear on her lips, and Octavia's words echoed in her head.

" _My birthday wish is for my two best friends to be nice and civil to everyone here."_

She got it. She could do that for Octavia, because the last thing Clarke wanted to do was anything that could ruin or make Octavia's night unhappy for her. She would be polite.

"Lincoln!" Octavia's voice pulled her out of her head as she ran up to him and hugged him. They immediately engaged in conversation, and Anya looked back toward Lexa before nodding toward the table of alcohol Clarke was not too far from.

She took a rather big drink as they began to head towards the table, meaning they had to pass by her, and she felt her heart pick up its pace slightly as they got closer.

"Hey," Anya simply said in her rather flat tone, and continued toward the table without missing a beat after Clarke returned the greeting.

Her eyes then moved on toward Lexa, who's eyes were already on her, and she prepared herself for whatever Lexa was going to do or say, remembering to be polite and passive, but as she neared her, she simply nodded.

"Clarke."

And she moved on.

Confusion hit Clarke. No teasing? No flirtatious words thrown her way? She glanced back and watched as Anya got them drinks, and they simply stood there with cups in hand, watching the small crowd of people. She saw Anya lean over and say something quietly to Lexa, who simply shook her head, and took a sip from her cup.

 _Alright._ Clarke thought to herself, still confused. She had prepared herself, and it seemed for nothing. Did she want Lexa to say something more to her? Or was she waiting for Clarke to say something? Should she go over and say something to her? Was Lexa testing her? Or was she done playing with Clarke?

She inwardly shook her head, feeling silly now. She had gotten herself worked up for nothing.

 _Or maybe she's doing it on purpose._ A voice spoke in her head, but she quickly washed it away with another drink of alcohol. She was just making herself paranoid now.

 _Damn her!_ She thought angrily, feeling her irritation rise, but with another gulp of her drink, she set her mind.

 _Fine. She doesn't want to talk to me, I won't talk to her. Simple as that._

She looked away, searching for something else to distract herself with, and as her eyes landed on Octavia, she found wide eyes motioning to the two standing by the table.

 _Go over there._ Octavia mouthed to her, and Clarke discreetly shook her head. It was obvious Lexa didn't want to talk to her, so why should she be the one to have to?

Octavia narrowed her eyes at her, and pointed to a 'birthday girl' pin on her, reminding Clarke of her birthday wish once again, and Clarke shook her head lightly again. She said she would be civil, that's it.

 _Now._ Octavia pushed, raising her brows, and Clarke sighed with a light roll of her eyes, finally giving in. Of course she would want her to go talk to her now.

She took a deep breathe, and then put on a friendly face as she turned towards them, forcing her feet to move forward.

"Hey, glad you guys made it," Clarke said as she approached them. She was trying to cover her uneasiness with a smile. Only Lexa looked to her.

"Nothing better to do," Anya said with a shrug, taking a drink.

"Yeah," Clarke nodded as she looked around. The awkward tension was pressing on her chest as she searched for something to talk about, but her mind was as blank as a fresh piece of paper.

"Do you, uh...do you work at Grounders with Lexa too?" she asked Anya, cursing herself for only being able to come up with something work related.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Anya droned, earning a side glance from Lexa. "But I'm always in the back. They don't allow me around the customers." she smirked.

Clarke laughed —a little too hard— and as Lexa's eyes returned to her, glancing down at her lips before going back to her eyes, Clarke cleared her throat and took a nice, long drink.

She wasn't doing well at this. Normally she could make conversation, but she was nervous, and it didn't help matters when someone squeezed by Anya to get a drink; causing her to step aside, thus causing Lexa to step closer to Clarke. She would have moved over, but there was a small group of people unaware and talking next to her, and she didn't want to move too far away to make Lexa think she was bothered by her standing closer to her.

Her eyes caught site of Octavia typing quickly on her phone before putting it away, and suddenly, Raven yelled out.

"Yo, Anya! Wanna take that five bucks you owe me and double it?" she called out across the room, standing by the dartboard, and Clarke saw her tucking her phone away in her back pocket. "Unless you're too scared."

Anya raised a brow at her, and then shrugged. "You're on, loser," she said as she walked over, leaving the two by the table.

Clarke immediately realized Octavia had texted Raven, and irritation and betrayal coursed through her.

They did it on purpose.

Clarke looked over and smiled awkwardly at Lexa, who gently smiled back, and she looked away. What was she to do now?

"Did you...wanna go over there?" she asked her, and Lexa merely shrugged.

"Only if you'd like to," she said, and Clarke didn't know what to say. She had meant if Lexa wanted to follow Anya, she would have let her go, but she had included her in her suggestion.

Suddenly, loud cheering erupted from over where the dartboard game was as Raven made the first perfect shot. She didn't want to be surrounded by rowdy people at the moment.

"I'm fine." Clarke shook her head gently. "But you can go," she offered, smiling.

Another set of laughing and cheering burst through the room, and Lexa shook her head.

"No, thank you."

Clarke's stomach sunk slightly. What was she to say now? She almost wished the irritating tension was here again, —at least that made it more easier to talk to Lexa.

"You look nice, Clarke," she suddenly said, sending a spark through Clarke that caused her stomach to do a small flip, and she smiled nervously.

"Thank you. You do, too."

This was becoming ridiculous, and Clarke was beginning to hate it. Now that it was just the two of them, Clarke was sure Lexa's smugness and flirtatious side was finally going to make an appearance, but it still didn't show. Why was she being so proper and quiet now? Did she finally realize that she really had made Clarke upset before? She did say she had wanted to start over…

Perhaps, or even just for tonight, Clarke could set everything aside, and just be friends with her.

" _Does it really matter that much that you guys are competition to not be friends outside of that?"_ Octavia's words echoed in her head.

Maybe Clarke could just forget about the restaurants and what had happened between them, and just be two friends…

"Clarke!" Raven suddenly popped up, nearly scaring her.

"What, Raven?" she asked, her heart thumping in her chest.

"I need ten bucks," she said, looking rather upset, and Clarke raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Yeah, Raven, why?" Anya suddenly asked from behind her, her head tilted and wearing a prideful smirk.

Raven glared at her and looked back at her, mumbling something.

"What?" Clarke's brow furrowed, unable to hear her over the loud music and people laughing and talking.

"I said, I lost the game and I don't have ten dollars on me. Can you lend it to me?" she asked, full of irritation, and Clarke tried to hide the smile from her face, even looking to Lexa, who smirked.

"Sure thing," Clarke said, reaching into her back pocket and holding out the money, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, shut it," Raven said angrily to her, snatching the money away and forcefully pushing it into Anya's opened hand. "There. Happy?"

"Indeed," Anya said, pocketing the money.

"I'm so done with games," Raven said, but Octavia, who had been standing nearby, frowned.

"What? No! I was just about to suggest we all start a game!" she pouted.

"Like what?" Raven asked, and Clarke knew she couldn't ever back down from a challenge or a game, even if she wanted to.

"Uhm..." Octavia thought, looking around for suggestions.

"How about 'Never Have I Ever'?" Jasper suddenly spoke up, his arm around Maya's shoulders as he was clearly becoming intoxicated, and Octavia's face lit up.

"Yes!"  
"No." Raven shook her head. "All that game is about nowadays is sex," she said.

"No, it's not. _Come on_ , Raven! We need to drink all of this alcohol before the weekend anyway! Please!" Octavia pleaded, and Raven sighed.

"Only because it's your birthday party."

"Yay!" Octavia cheered. "Okay, you guys head upstairs to the living room and I'll see who wants to play!" she said and took off, dragging a chuckling Lincoln after her.

"Wait, who said I was playing?" Clarke asked, looking to Raven.

"Uhm, we're the best friends, we have to do what the Birthday Girl says. Sorry," she said, and followed Jasper, Maya, and Monty upstairs.

Clarke hesitated for a moment, and then looked to Lexa.

"Would you two wanna play?" she asked with uncertainty. She didn't want to leave them alone knowing they didn't know most of these people here.

"Yup. I'm too sober for this party," Anya immediately said, and began to head upstairs. Clarke looked to Lexa, who merely shrugged.

"Alright, then." she smiled, and they headed upstairs.

Octavia managed to gather quite a few people, even Bellamy and his close friends, grabbing some of the alcohol, and they all sat in a circle around the living room.

"Alright, fill up your cups and let's start!" Octavia said excitedly.

"Who should go first?" Raven asked, and everyone stayed quiet, slightly avoiding each others eyes. "Fine, I'll go. Never have I ever...gotten an 'F'," she said with a smirk, and a few people drank, including Clarke.

Lexa, who was sitting next to her, gave her a slightly curious look.

"Math. I hate math." she shrugged.

"Alright, Jasper, you're next." Raven nodded to him.

"Uhm, never have I ever...had perfect attendance," he said cleverly, and laughed when Maya took a drink, along with Miller and his boyfriend.

"Aww, Nate, you're such a good noodle," Bryan teased him.

"Never have I ever...stolen food from work," Maya said, and Clarke was glad her father wasn't around as she took a drink.

"Oh, Clarke! That's like stealing from your own dad!" Monty pointed out, and she gave him the finger.

She looked over and realized Lexa hadn't drank, and she raised an accusing brow at her, but Lexa smirked with a slight shake of her head. Anya, on the other hand, took a big drink.

"Thief!" Raven called her out.

"Loser," she shot back, and Raven shook her head with a laugh.

"Never have I ever..." Monty paused to think, "played sports," he said, and nearly all of them booed at him as they had to take a drink, causing him to throw his fist in the air with success.

"He's out for blood!" Miller pointed at him, causing them to laugh.

Now, Clarke was feeling the effects of the alcohol, unable to stop giggling.

"Hey, that's how you play the game. You can always quit." Harper held her hands out, smirking.

"No, no, no. I got this," Miller said, thinking. "Uhm...never have I ever...slept with a girl." he smiled mischievously, and they all booed and yelled at him as his boyfriend laughed hysterically.

"Not fair!"

"Cheater!"

"Hey, that's how you play the game!" he shot back at them.

Clarke laughed, and as her eyes swept over to Lexa, she was staring at Clarke as she took a drink from her cup. Clarke's smile softened as they stared at each other, and she suddenly realized they just learned something quite personal about each other. She swallowed hard.

Lexa has slept with a girl before. Clarke hadn't.

She brushed a strand of hair before looking away, feeling something in the pit of her stomach as images pushed their way into Clarke's vulnerable mind. Lexa kissing. Naked. Hands exploring.

She cleared her throat, forcing the images away and placed her attention on Bryan as he went next.

"Never have I ever...gone commando in public," he said, and they laughed as quite a few people drank.

Clarke could feel Lexa's eyes on her as she took a drink, and when she finally found the courage to meet her eyes, there's was something about the way Lexa was staring at her that made Clarke's stomach clench. She was gazing intensely at her lips, and they slowly rose up to her eyes. Clarke almost felt that if someone didn't go soon, she was going to kiss her.

"Alright, alright, I got a good one," Harper said proudly. "Never have I ever kissed Bryan," she said, and immediately looked to Miller, smiling, who shook his head.

"That's a cheap shot," he said as he took a drink, and suddenly the others began hollering, pointing to Jasper, who tried to sneakily take a drink.

"What!" Miller looked at him, shocked, and quickly looked to Bryan for answers.

"It was before we were dating," Bryan assured him, and Miller turned back to Jasper. Nearly everyone was looking confused and eager to find out.

"It was a dare! Back in summer camp when we were like, fourteen," he explained with a wave of his hand. "It was before he came out, and they dared him to kiss any guy or girl in the room, or run outside naked for two minutes, and I knew he didn't want to do either, so I grabbed him and kissed him and played it off as a joke."

"Aww." a few of the girls smiled, and Jasper nodded, waving it away.

"I know, I know." he took in the praise, and Bryan laughed.

"It's the honest truth, he saved me from embarrassment," he said, and Miller seemed to relax, even smiling.

"Alright, enough mushiness, let's keep this game going!" Raven said, and they came to Monroe.

"Uhm, hmm..." she thought, and finally thought of something. "Never have I ever kissed a stranger," she said, and Raven's and Octavia's eyes shot to Clarke.

She glared playfully, and looked to Lexa, who nodded, and together, they took a drink, unable to keep their eyes from one another.

Clarke wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, or if she was just finally letting it go, but now she didn't feel so upset or irritated about everything that had happened since meeting Lexa. She was sure it was the alcohol, but it was all seeming rather funny now, and she couldn't help but giggle, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Even Lexa chuckled lightly.

"Well, aren't you two just happy now that you kissed," Raven suddenly called them out, obviously becoming quite buzzed, and Clarke quickly looked to her with wide eyes.

"Raven!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you two kissed?" Bellamy asked, his brow creased. "But didn't you guys meet at..." and realization dawned on him. "Clarke, you kissed her at their house warming party before you even knew her?" he asked loudly, and he, Raven, Octavia, Lincoln, and even Anya all started laughing.

"Shut up!" Clarke said, trying her hardest not to blush as she laughed, but she knew her face was bright red.

"Way to go, Clarke!" Jasper cheered her on.

"I just realized, I don't even know who she is," Monty suddenly said. "Or her...or him," he pointed to Anya, and then Lincoln.

"Well, this is Lincoln, Anya, and that's Lexa," Octavia introduced them. "They work at Grounders."

"Oh, so you're the fresh meat," Monroe smiled slyly.

"That's right," Anya said, narrowing her eyes. "But with a lot of history and experience."

"Is that so?" Jasper raised a brow, though there was playfulness in his eyes.

However, Anya's face was harder to read, and Clarke became slightly nervous. She didn't want any of that being brought up and causing tension, and Raven must have sensed it too.

"Well! Bathroom break!" she said, standing up, and Anya smirked.

"What happens when you can't escape to a bathroom?" she asked her, and Raven froze.

"What do you mean?" she asked her.

"Any time there's hostility, you run to a bathroom."

"Anya, knock it off," Lincoln said, and Clarke realized it was too late. Tension had risen.

"I do not. I really do have to use the bathroom, thank you very much," Raven shot back. The others watched as they stared down one another.

"Right." Anya nodded, taking a drink.

"Don't believe me? Come and watch, then," Raven challenged, and turned to walk away, only to stumble and nearly fall into Jasper and Maya.

"Whoa!" they caught her, pushing her back up.

"Maybe I should go with you to make sure your drunk, clumsy ass doesn't actually fall in," Anya laughed.

"I won't!" she glared.

"Yeah, right."

"Fine! Let's go then," Raven said in a demanding tone, and they watched as Anya got up and followed her to the bathroom, confusion now replacing tension. It was awkwardly silent between the circle for a moment.

"Uhh...what just happened?" Monty asked, confused, and a few of them shrugged.

"Well, I'm ready for another beer," Bellamy said, and a few of them got up.

"Yeah, I think I'm starting to get drunk enough to dance," Octavia chimed in, smiling to Lincoln.

"Eh...I don't dance..." he shook his head nervously, and Octavia laughed.

"Well, you're going to dance with me. It's my birthday party. Let's go!" she said, hopping up and pulling a chuckling Lincoln along, and the group began to disband as they followed the others.

"I, uh...guess the game's done," Clarke said, setting down her cup, and Lexa nodded.

"It seems so."

They sat in the living room quietly together, Clarke unsure of what to do. Should they follow the others? Stay up here? Should she ask Lexa what she wanted to do now? Thoughts raced through her mind, only furthering her buzz.

"Why are you doing that?" Lexa suddenly asked, and Clarke's head snap up to hers.

"Doing what?"

"Rubbing your hands back and forth on your jeans," she said calmly, and Clarke looked down to see her hands on her thighs, mid-rub.

"Oh, uh...I don't know," she chuckled, pulling her hands away and clasping them together in her lap, but she knew exactly what it was. It was her nervousness coming out of her.

"Relax, Clarke," Lexa said, and she honestly tried.

"I'm sorry, I'm just...nervous around new people," Clarke admitted, because now that her and Lexa weren't exactly trying to get at one another, or feeling like they were on opposite sides of the street, everything felt brand new.

"So...does Anya like Raven, or…?" Clarke decided on a topic, and Lexa tilted her head.

"In what way are you referring, Clarke?" she asked her, and Clarke felt a slight blush.

"I don't know, like...more than a friend? —Wait...could you even call them friends with all of their fighting?" she asked, chuckling at the end, and Lexa smiled gently.

"I'm not certain about _that_ , but since I do know Anya, I know that she does not dislike her."

"Well, that's good." Clarke nodded. "And it seems like Octavia and Lincoln are hitting it off pretty good."

"Yes, better than our...encounters," Lexa said, and Clarke's eyes snapped to hers, but Lexa was staring off. She wasn't sure what to say, or how to even respond properly.

"I apologize, Clarke—"

"—No." Clarke cut her off, shaking her head, and Lexa finally looked to her. "Let's not do that. Not tonight. Let's just have fun," she said with a reassuring smile, and Lexa stared at her for a moment, before she finally smiled gently and nodded.

"Alright."

They sat in silence once more, and Clarke tried to think of what to say next. Perhaps they should just join the others, but at the same time, Clarke was honestly just enjoying Lexa's company, for once.

"So, what do you do for fun?" Clarke asked, reaching for her cup and taking a drink.

Lexa was holding her cup between both hands at the end of her lap, running her thumb along the side of it.

"I used to write," she said quietly, and Clarke perked up.

"Oh, really? I didn't know you were a writer."

"I was," Lexa said, and Clarke couldn't help but notice a slight calm sadness reach her eyes, but she lifted her eyes and it immediately went away as she looked to Clarke. "You've mentioned before you were really into art? Do you paint or draw?"

"Actually, I do both." Clarke nodded, finally feeling herself becoming relaxed.

"I would love to see some of your work," Lexa said, and Clarke smiled.

"Sure, but it's really not that great. I could use more practice." she blushed, pushing a strand of hair away from her face.

"I'm sure it is, you're just being modest," Lexa countered, and Clarke smirked.

"Maybe. You'll just have to see for yourself, and see how right I am," she said, and this time it was Lexa's turn to smirk.

"Are you challenging me, Clarke Griffin?" she asked her.

"Perhaps I am, Lexa Woods," she said, and they began to stare at one another.

If there was anything Clarke would want to paint, she realized it would be Lexa's eyes. They were amazingly vibrant and layered with multiple shades of green, and held so much depth in them, reminding her of a forest yet to be explored of its secrets.

She suddenly felt an urge to lean forward, unsure if it was a natural impulse, or the alcohol encouraging her. Lexa's eyes were drawing her in like much like the gravitational pull she described, and she couldn't pull away.

Clarke cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks tingle with warmth, and tried to form words, but her head was buzzing. "I, uhm..."

"Yes?" Lexa's eyes searched back and forth between Clarke's, and she was sure Lexa was slowly leaning towards her.

"I told you I had to pee!" Raven's voice suddenly carried out from down the hall, tearing Clarke away from Lexa's pull, and she immediately pulled back, even readjusting herself on the couch they had been sitting on.

"Maybe you should have made a bet on it, then and won your ten dollars back," Anya shot back, and they came walking out of the hall.

"Oh, hey guys! Where'd everyone go?" Raven asked, looking around. "Did you scare them all away with your sexual tension?"

"Raven!" Clarke glared at her, and she quickly glanced sideways to see Lexa smirking at her cup.

"Come on, Loser, you need another drink," Anya said, beginning to push her the rest of the way towards the basement.

Now, the awkwardness was back, at least, for Clarke. It seemed like they were going to kiss each other, right? Or was Clarke's intoxicated mind playing with her? It definitely seemed like Lexa was going to kiss her.

"Did—Did you need another drink?" she finally asked her, looking around. "—Oh, I guess they took the alcohol too," she chuckled, but slightly relieved as it gave her a plan out of this awkward situation. "Well, we can head back down to the basement anyway."

They got up and made their way back down, both refilling their cups. It seemed Clarke had become quite thirsty, and after drinking nearly half of it, she was definitely feeling quite buzzed now, possibly drunk, and as a certain favorite song of hers came on, she felt the urge to dance. She opened her mouth, but then closed it, feeling nervousness rise in her as another urge came to mind.

 _Just do it._ She told herself, and finally turned to Lexa.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked her, but to Clarke's slight disappointment, she shook her head.

"Go ahead," she encouraged her, and the alcohol swarming in Clarke's system did not need to be told twice.

"Alright!" she said, and made her way to the dance floor.

She found Octavia in the small group of dancers, who cheered when she saw Clarke dancing, and before she knew it, two songs had gone by.

As she danced, she couldn't help but glance over at Lexa, who was still by the alcohol table, watching and lightly chuckling at Clarke as she took small sips from her cup. Clarke had managed to finish her drink and _not_ spill it while dancing, —at least she didn't think she did— and by the end of the third or fourth song, she knew she was quite drunk.

She finally made her way back to the table where Lexa was, her mind taking a second to catch up to her, and she giggled.

"I have to use the bathroom, will you hold my phone and drink?" she asked Lexa, handing them to her before she could respond, who slightly chuckled.

"Sure, Clarke."

"Okay," Clarke smiled, "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere," she said, slightly slurring her words, and Lexa nodded.

"I won't."

She made her way up the stairs, trying her hardest not to stumble, and finally made it to the line of people waiting to use the bathroom. She leaned against the wall, trying to concentrate on not peeing herself, and regretted not asking Lexa to come and keep her company while the line dwindled down.

Finally, a girl with multiple piercings and different colored hair stepped out of the bathroom, and Clarke was next.

After she finished, however, she realized she needed to take a moment. The bathroom was dancing around, and for a second she thought she was going to be sick. She sat down on the floor against the tub, next to the toilet.

She thought about what had happened between her and Lexa in the living room, and wondered what it all meant. Had they finally got over the slight wedge that had grown between them? What did this mean? Were they friends now? Was there something more?

In all honesty, or maybe it was the alcohol, Clarke couldn't tell anymore, but she had wanted something to happen. She knew alcohol increased urges, but those urges would have had to come from somewhere, right? It wasn't like she had an urge to kiss anyone. She wanted to kiss Lexa.

"Ugh," she groaned, pulling her knees up and laying her arms over them to create a makeshift pillow for her head as confusion and feelings mixed with the dizzying alcohol. She didn't know what to do, because on one hand, she felt like she was really starting to like Lexa, but on the other, she was part of her and her father's competition, and he would probably be highly disappointed.

 _No. No thinking about that._ She told herself, reminding herself that she said she would put that aside for tonight.

She felt a small wave of nausea, but thankfully it went away, and she continued to sit on the floor waiting for the motivation to get up again.

"Clarke! Clarke! Are you in there?" Someone suddenly pounded on the door.

"What?" she called out, lifting her head, wondering who it could be.

"It's Raven, are you okay?" she called through the door.

"It's unlocked!" Clarke called back, and Raven came in, leaving the door slightly open.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, kneeling down in front of her. "Lexa found me and said you've been up here for a while."

"Mhm, I'm okay." Clarke hummed, closing her eyes. "Just resting for a moment."

"Okay." Raven nodded, and sat down on the floor in front of her.

"Raven," Clarke suddenly said, opening her eyes and looking at her best friend. She began to feel the confusion washing over her, the alcohol making her feel rather emotional.

"What's wrong, Clarke?" Raven asked, concerned.

"I need to talk to you about something," she said, trying not to slur her words, "About Lexa."

"What about her?"

"I think she was going to kiss me," Clarke said, and suddenly began to giggle.

"Again?" Raven asked, but she was smiling.

Clarke nodded as her giggling increased, but it slowly died away, and her smile turned into a frown as she stared at her lap. She was bordering on the line of tears.

"Clarke? What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Clarke sniffled, finally looking up at Raven.

"Did you not want her to kiss you?" she asked, and then slight anger crossed her features. "Did she try to force it on you?"

Clarke shook her head, and began to laugh, but a tear escaped from her eyes. "I think I actually like her."

Raven looked just as confused as Clarke felt, so she continued.

"She's the enemy. I shouldn't like her. I shouldn't want to kiss her, or feel anything for her, but I do," she sniffled, taking a deep breath to calm herself and speak properly. She knew she was being a bit dramatic, but she knew it was also because of the alcohol, so she couldn't help the words as they poured from her mouth. "At first, I thought: Lexa is nothing good. She plays with people and toys with them. She doesn't care. She will do just about anything to get what she wants, that's all. She's inconsiderate and selfish, and I can see right through her tricks."

"Do you really believe that?" Raven asked, and Clarke paused, not because she had to think about it, but because she was realizing herself that she truly didn't. She felt like there was something more than Lexa was allowing to be seen. She had seen it in her eyes.

There was laughter and a noise outside of the bathroom, and Raven got up to shut the bathroom door completely, returning to Clarke.

"That's the thing, I don't anymore. —I don't know if I really truly believed it at all, now that I think about it. I think I was just letting my anger and irritation, and the pressure of my dad's pride control the way I thought about her. I mean, she really didn't do anything _that_ bad. She kissed me, so what? I just let my emotions run wild and let it control my thoughts and actions, but deep down, I think I'm really starting to like her..."

Raven gave her a sympathetic look, and she reached out, squeezing Clarke's hand. "Then, maybe you should tell her."

* * *

Lexa slightly cursed herself for not going with Clarke. She seemed to be rather drunk when she had headed towards the bathroom. She should have gone with her to make sure she was alright.

However, she figured if Clarke was sick, she would want someone like Octavia or Raven, so she began to search the room. She finally spotted Anya and Raven by the beer pong table, and walked over to them.

"Raven." she stood next to her.

"Hold up," Raven said, and Lexa waited until she made her shot, cheering as she made the ball into the cup. "Oh yeah! In your face!" she pointed at Anya, and finally turned to Lexa. "What's up?"

"Clarke went to the bathroom about ten minutes ago, she seemed pretty drunk. I think she might have gotten sick and I figured she would want you," Lexa said, and Raven nodded.

"Uh oh, okay. Uh, Harper, take my spot," she said to her, and headed upstairs for the bathroom.

"Wait, where is she going?" Anya asked, watching her walk away from their game.

"I believe Clarke got sick," Lexa said as she stood next to her, and Anya nodded. Lexa waited and watched as Anya and the others continued to play beer pong, and realized she still had Clarke's phone. "Maybe I should return this to her."

"Uh huh, you just want to go check on her." Anya smirked, but Lexa ignored her.

"I'll return soon," she said, finally making up her mind, and headed upstairs to find the bathroom.

She quietly looked around, and spotted a hall where a door at the far end was cracked, letting light shine through. She began to approach it carefully, not wanting to walk into a room that wasn't the bathroom and intrude on anyone, and she suddenly heard Clarke's voice.

"—Lexa is nothing good. She plays with people and toys with them. She doesn't care. She will do just about anything to get what she wants, that's all. She's inconsiderate and selfish, and I can see right through her tricks."

Lexa froze as Clarke's words hit her ears, feeling for the first time in so long her heart beating in her chest, but it was beating an old familiar tune. Anger. Hatred. Shock.

"Do you really believe that?" Raven's voice drifted through the crack of the door, but Lexa didn't want to hear anymore.

She had already said enough.

And with that, she dropped Clarke's phone onto the carpet and quickly left the bathroom, a burning fire growing in her chest.

She should have known better. She should have listened to her head, to Anya's warnings, and left Clarke alone. Now, look at what happened. That moment on the couch, Lexa thought she was starting to feel something different, like she could almost open herself up and let herself feel again, all because of Clarke, but it all came back in her face. She knew it was too good to be true.

Clarke truly thought her no different than what she thought of herself. Inconsiderate. Selfish. Uncaring.

But that's who she had become; that's who she was, and she was foolish to think Clarke thought differently about her. Why? Why did she think Clarke would see her differently?

She mentally shook her head, trying to stay out of the darkness of her mind, but it was slowly consuming her.

—No, she shouldn't care. She shouldn't care what Clarke thought of her. She knew what she was. She knew what she did. And she learned to not care anymore. Not after what had happened years ago.

She made it down to the basement and found Anya still at the beer pong table.

"I want to leave. Now," she said, and Anya raised a brow.

"Okay, mind telling me what happened first?" Anya asked, but Lexa shook her head, her jaw set, and Anya nodded.

"Okay, let me go find Lincoln and tell him we're leaving," she said, but Lexa stopped her.

"No, text him later," she said with no room for another option, and Anya didn't object as Lexa turned and headed toward the stairs, following closely behind her.

"Wait, how are we leaving?" she asked as they climbed the stairs, making their way towards the front door.

"We're walking," Lexa said, and Anya sighed, but continued to follow her.

As they made it out, Anya could tell Lexa was in no mood to talk, so they walked silently down the sidewalk towards their house, all the while Lexa's mind forcing negative thoughts through her head.

If that's what Clarke truly thought of her, then fine. She didn't care. Clarke thought she could see right through her? Well, she was wrong.

However, another thought forced its way to the front of her mind. Was this all part of the 'game' they had been playing? Did Lexa actually fall for it, and walk right into Clarke's own tricks?

 _Foolish._ She thought to herself for not realizing it. She should have known Clarke was still upset at her.

They were still playing the game, still trying to get at each other, and Clarke had played her good. How did Lexa not see it?

Fine. Clarke wanted to play?

She could play.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Yay another chapter! I feel like I am flying through these (for once), so I'm hoping they are flowing well. :)**_

 _ **Again, thanks for all of the follows and favorites and reviews! You guys rock!**_

 _ **Excuse any typos, and enjoy!**_

* * *

Raven finally managed to get Clarke out of the bathroom, and grabbed her a bottle of water from the fridge before heading back down.

Clarke, even in her drunken state, knew Raven was right. She should tell Lexa how she felt, just put it all on the table and see where it went. Who knew, maybe Lexa possibly felt the same way. It was obvious she had an interest in Clarke, she admitted that before, _and_ she's already kissed her.

They finally made it down to the basement, and they both looked around.

"Where'd she go?" Raven asked. "Where's Anya?"

They looked over in time to see Octavia marching up to them, her face set and her eyes unhappy as she stared at them.

"Uh oh..." Raven muttered quietly.

"Would either of you mind telling me why Anya and Lexa just suddenly decided to leave?" she asked, confusion and irritation in her voice.

"Uhh...no clue?" Raven raised her eyebrows, just as confused.

"Really?" Octavia crossed her arms, looking between the both of them, obviously not believing Raven. "They didn't even say goodbye, or why. They just left. So what happened?" she interrogated them.

"Wait, you think this is our fault?" Raven accused, becoming slightly defensive.

"Well, I'm not trying to point fingers, but they _were_ hanging out with _you two_ most of the night," Octavia said irritated.

" _We_ just came from the bathroom, _we_ didn't do anything!" Raven shook her head, trying not to get angry that Octavia was blaming them.

However, Clarke became more worried than angry. Why did they leave? Why did Lexa leave without saying anything? Did Clarke do something wrong?

"Well, _something_ must have happened to make them want to leave! I told you two to be nice!" Octavia raised her voice slightly, catching the attention from a few of the people standing by.

"We were being nice!"

Clarke's stomach sunk as they two continued to argue. Was she the cause of it? Did she make Lexa uncomfortable? It seemed like they were actually getting along, possibly even getting closer. Was that it? Did Lexa not want to be close with Clarke, and she just got the wrong idea? Did Clarke read their interactions wrong somehow, and took it too far? She didn't understand.

She looked over to Lincoln for answers, but he was too busy typing on his phone, obviously texting one of them.

Clarke felt like maybe she had messed up somehow, like this was her fault, but she felt too afraid to say anything. What had gone wrong?

"Well, they're home now, I guess," Lincoln finally said, and as his eyes met Clarke's, she could see slight disappointment in them, and it only increased her worry.

"You know, I just wanted to have a good night," Octavia said more calmly, but her words were full of just as much disappointment as Lincoln's eyes. "I don't know what either of you two did or say, but you better fix it."

"We didn't do anything," Raven tried to say, but Octavia shook her head as she started to walk away. "Octavia!" Raven followed after her.

Clarke looked up at Lincoln with uncertain, apologetic eyes, and she gently shook her head as if to tell him she was sorry and confused at what happened.

"It's alright," he simply said, nodding, and though Clarke should have felt reassurance in his voice, she didn't. He gave her a soft smile, and left to follow after Octavia and Raven.

She sighed as questions swarmed in her already whirling mind, and she needed to sit down.

 _What happened?_ She wondered.

Maybe she really had read it all wrong, and that Lexa didn't want to be close with Clarke. It seemed like they had become comfortable though, but as Clarke recalled, she did notice that when she had asked Lexa about herself, it seemed like a sadness came over her, and then she quickly turned the topic onto her. Did she make Lexa uncomfortable to open up to her? Maybe she just wasn't the kind of person who liked to open up to people.

She shook her head. Why did all of this have to be so confusing? She thought that just maybe, things were going to finally turn around, but perhaps she was wrong.

She could feel irritation rise in her. Why couldn't Lexa just be up front with her? What was this game they were playing?

Maybe that's all it was to Lexa. A game, and Clarke had misread.

 _Idiot._ She thought to herself. What did she think would happen? It was made clear that they were not on the same team long ago, but Clarke had tried to push that aside for tonight so they could all have a good time. But she realized maybe Lexa hadn't forgotten, and this was her way of showing Clarke they were still enemies. Not friends.

But that moment on the couch. It felt...genuine.

She sighed.

Back to square one.

* * *

"So...are you going to tell me what happened?" Anya asked her when they made it home.

"Nothing," Lexa simply said, taking off her shoes.

"Really? Because it seemed like something happened."

Lexa sighed. She didn't want to talk about it, but she knew it wasn't fair to pull Anya away and leave her in the dark, especially when it seemed like she was having a good time. Still, Lexa knew she shouldn't have let her guard down, not even just a little bit, because it already came back on her.

What was she thinking? That perhaps something more could blossom between her and Clarke? Why would she be so foolish to think so? It was apparent Clarke had still not forgiven her for teasing with her, but still, had she really done that bad by Clarke?

In the beginning, she thought it would be like with any other girl, teasing, flirting, and then she would break and succumb to Lexa, but when she hadn't, it brought a new interest to Lexa; a new challenge. Still, it seemed like something more. She was different than the others somehow, and it prodded Lexa's curiosity to find out more, that it led her to drop her walls a bit to find out. She made Lexa feel something different, and she was curious to find out what. It seemed like Clarke had wanted to get passed the wedge that had formed between them, and she allowed it, only to realize Clarke was just playing her right back. She should have just moved on.

What would have happened had she not heard what Clarke really thought of her? Would Clarke have tried to make her open up, learn her secrets, and then reveal in the end that she was just doing it to get back at her? Is that what all of it was, to get back at Lexa?

But why did she care so much? She had learned not to care what others thought of her...But Clarke was different somehow.

She felt confused, and it only angered her.

"Lexa?" Anya's voice brought her back, and she finally looked to her. "Did something happen between you and Clarke?"

She stared at Anya for a moment, unsure if she should tell her that she thought she may had been feeling something for Clarke, but that would make her look foolish. She barely knew Clarke. She had only been around her a few times, and surely that wasn't enough time to get to know someone to feel something deep for them. It was just profound attraction, and she confused it. She didn't listen to her own warnings, and had just foolishly let her walls down, that's all. She had been careless, and she remembered why she didn't let anyone in anymore, it only resulted in getting hurt. As she felt her barriers finally close up, she knew she would not make that mistake again.

Clarke was cunning, she would give her that, but Lexa wasn't going to show her she was a fool.

"She's just not the person I thought she was," she simply said. "I'm sorry I pulled you away from the party. You can return if you'd like."

Anya sighed, possibly realizing she wasn't going to find out anything more, and shrugged. "Nah, I was getting tired of winning anyways."

"Well, I'm going to bed," Lexa said, and began to walk away when Anya stopped her.

"Lexa. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" she asked, and Lexa could see concern in her eyes, something that was often rare.

"No." she shook her head, and Anya nodded.

"Well, if you need to—"

"—Thank you," Lexa cut her off, and gave her a gentle, grateful smile.

"Alright," Anya sighed. "Good night," she said, and Lexa nodded before heading into her room.

She shut the door and leaned against it, not bothering to turn on the light.

She could feel it, anger. Not so much for Clarke, but for her own imbecility. She could feel her mind working, thinking, becoming dark like the very room she was standing in. She wasn't always like this. She was happy once, she was caring, and thoughtful, but that had all changed when _she_ died. Did her mother even help her through it? No. She didn't care for them, she didn't even care for her, her own daughter. She actually blamed her for her father leaving, and for _her_ death, and because of that, it's who she became. She became this distant, selfish, cold being, and she learned to accept it.

She shook her head and went to her computer, her anger bringing on a new motivation.

She turned it on and typed in Clarke's name, finding her profile, and began searching. Her eyes caught the name of her father's restaurant and she clicked on it, bringing her to their restaurant's social media business page.

As she began looking around, she caught sight of a recent post with a picture about a kids' Wednesday night event soon to happen, and an idea popped into her head.

She pulled out her phone, but hesitated for a moment. Maybe this would be taking it too far. Maybe she shouldn't do this, and just forget about Clarke and move on.

" _Lexa is nothing good. She plays with people and toys with them. She doesn't care. She will do just about anything to get what she wants, that's all. She's inconsiderate and selfish, and I can see right through her tricks."_ Clarke's words forced their way into her head, and anger swelled as she began to type.

 _ **Lexa: Emori?**_

 _ **Emori: Lexa, long time no talk. How are you?**_

 _ **Lexa: I'm well. Can I ask you something?**_

 _ **Emori: Sure, what's up?**_

 _ **Lexa: You can hack into a business page, correct?**_

 _ **Emori: Yeah, they're usually pretty easy. People mistakenly don't make the security as strong as personal pages. Why?**_

 _ **Lexa: I need you to do something for me...**_

Inconsiderate. Selfish. Uncaring.

So, that's what Clarke thought of her?

Oh, how right she was.

* * *

A few days had passed since the night of Octavia's party, and Clarke had still not heard a word from Lexa about what had happened that night. Not that she had any means of getting a hold of her unless it was in person, but she was too nervous and afraid to do anything bold like approach her, so she left it alone. Maybe they were just not meant for form any sort of bond.

"Hey, still moping?" Raven asked, joining her on the bench outside of work.

Wednesday had finally come, and they were waiting to start their shift, expecting it to be busy and full of children tonight.

"No." Clarke rolled her eyes.

"You still haven't heard anything?" Raven asked and Clarke shook her head.

"I still don't know what happened. Maybe I was more drunk than I thought and said or did something I shouldn't have?" she asked Raven, hoping somehow she would know, and Raven shrugged.

"Don't let it get to you. Lexa's just a...mysteriously strange girl. Still hot, but mysteriously strange." Raven nodded, earning a light chuckle from Clarke. "And plus, weren't you upset with her before anyway? She's 'the enemy', remember?"

Clarke shrugged. "Yeah, but...when I put all of that aside, something felt different that night. We actually got along and...I dunno," Clarke sighed. "I just want to know what happened."

"Maybe she got overwhelmed by all of that—"

"—Don't say sexual tension, Raven, or I will smack you," Clarke warned, and Raven held up her hands with a chuckle.

"Alright, alright. Maybe she just too drunk or something and had to leave?" she offered instead. Clarke knew she was just trying to make light of the situation, but Clarke felt there was something more to it.

"I'm not sure. And what else doesn't make sense is she had my phone, I remember asking her to hold it, then Miller said he found it on the floor, but he didn't say where… You don't think she heard me talking about her, do you?" she asked Raven, her brow creased heavily with confusion. "Maybe I scared her away by saying I actually liked her. Maybe she doesn't want anything more than this...teasing, back and forth flirtation-type of relationship…? I don't know."

"Well...if she's the player type, then possibly." Raven shrugged, but their conversation ended as customers began walking up to the door.

"Are you Clarke?" A woman asked, and they looked up.

"Uh, yes?"

"Oh, okay." The woman smiled. "Do we just head inside then?" she asked, referring to herself and the others with her, and Clarke became confused. Why would the woman ask her that at a restaurant? And how did she know her name?

"Uhm, yes." she nodded anyway. Maybe she just knew her father or something and was trying to be polite? Still, her question didn't make sense.

"That was weird," Raven noted as the woman's group went inside, and Clarke nodded in agreement.

Quite a few more people in groups of two's and three's were coming in together, smiling and nodding to her as they passed, and at first Clarke thought it was just for the kids' night, but she realized a lot of them didn't have children with them. Maybe it was some sort of work-related get together someone planned to have at their restaurant, not realizing they had planned to start the kids' night tonight?

Clarke shrugged it off however, preparing to head inside to start their shift when her father nearly burst through the front doors.

"Clarke!" he said, looking around, and immediately spotted her and Raven on the bench.

"Yes?" Clarke asked, worried when she noticed the angry look on his face as he marched up to them.

"Explain to me why there's a large group of about thirty people waiting to be seated for an 'appetizer and drink painting lesson' by _you_?" he asked angrily, a vein beginning to protrude from his forehead.

"What?" Clarke asked, confused, and her father held up a piece of paper, wrinkled from his tight grip. She took it from him and held it out for her and Raven to read it.

 ** _Come join us on WEDNESDAY AT 6 PM for painting and fun! Limited free appetizers and drinks made available while you learn how to paint a masterpiece instructed by yours truly, CLARKE GRIFFIN! Come join the fun and get creative at ARKADIA BAR AND GRILL!_**

Shock and confusion coursed through Clarke as she re-read the small flyer. She had never seen this before. Where did this come from? Who did this?

"I don't know why you didn't run this by me first to see if it was alright, or even _think_ it was a good idea to do it when we're starting the kids' night tonight!" he said angrily, his face becoming red.

"I didn't...I didn't make this." she shook her head as she looked up at her father, her brows pulled together tightly.

"Then, if not you, who did it?" he clenched his jaw, and his eyes darted to Raven.

"Hey, don't look at me. I didn't do this."

"I don't know who did this, but it wasn't us," Clarke stressed, shaking her head. Who would have done something like this?

"Well, if this is some kind of prank by your friends, it is not funny!" he nearly yelled as if this _was_ her fault.

"Why are you yelling at me? I didn't do this, Dad!" Clarke raised her own voice, becoming angry.

"Well who ever did, they said it was posted on our internet page, which _you_ have access to! Now, I'm going to have to go back in there and explain to those people that this was fake, and probably have to give them all discounts for wasting their time coming here!" he shook his head. She knew he was upset, but she didn't do this, and she knew Raven didn't either, yet he was yelling at her like she had a hand in it. Did someone do this as a prank and thought it would be funny? But who? Who else had access to their page?  
"Take that post down now, Clarke, before more people see it!" he said as he stormed back inside.

"What the hell?" Clarke looked to Raven, confused once he was gone, and she shook her head with a shrug, clearly confused as she was.

"Check the page," Raven said, and Clarke pulled up her phone, immediately going to their restaurant's business page.

Her stomach sunk as there was, in fact, a post about a painting event.

"I didn't do this," she said again, even though Raven knew it. She looked at the date it was posted, and realized it was Saturday night, and suddenly an odd thought crossed her mind, only increasing the sinking feeling in her.

 _No..._

"Who would do this?" Raven asked, and Clarke noticed a link to the image that was supposedly going to be painted, and she tapped on it, hoping to get more answers.

As the image finally loaded, her breath caught in her throat as her heart stopped for a moment, before it immediately began pounding anger and rage through her, causing her to lightly shake with burning adrenaline. Only one face came to mind.

"I can't believe it..." Clarke said acidly through clenched teeth as she stared at the picture.

"What is it?" Raven asked, looking to her confused as she didn't understand, but Clarke knew exactly who it was.

The picture was of a deep, forest-green colored background, with a single, black silhouetted deer surrounded by trees, and though it wasn't the same, she knew exactly what it was. It was similar to the painting where she first met her.

"Clarke, you look like you're going to kill someone. Do you know who did this?" Raven asked, and Clarke nodded as she raised furious eyes over to the building across the street.

" _...Lexa."_

* * *

"Wait, Clarke, why would she do this?" Raven asked as she quickly followed behind her, trying to keep up.

"I don't know," Clarke said, her eyes set on the building across the street as she began marching over to it.

"How do you know it was her?" Raven asked as they crossed the parking lot.

"Because they have a painting like this in their house!" she said angrily, her adrenaline pushing away any fear she previously had of approaching Lexa.

"How do you know it's not just a coincidence?" Raven asked, and though Clarke knew she was just trying to make her think rationally about this first before barging into their territory, it didn't deter her anger. She wanted answers.

"It's not, Raven!" Clarke snapped as they started to reach the end of their parking lot.

"Yeah, but Clarke, _how do you know_?" Raven tried again. "You guys were getting along just fine the other night. Why would she just go and do something like this?"

" _I. Don't. Know. Raven,_ " Clarke said through clenched teeth, and though she didn't mean to take her anger out on Raven, she couldn't help it. "Why did she just up and leave without saying a word that night? Why did she just kiss me? Why does she do anything she does!"

She knew her father being angry and yelling at her like this was her fault only made her that much more angry about the situation, but still, why would she do this to her?

"She's been messing with me since the moment I met her!"

"Wait, Clarke," Raven tried, but she didn't want to hear anymore.

"No, I'm going over there."

"Alright, but Clarke. Wait." she tried again, but she ignored her. " _Clarke!_ " she finally grabbed her arm, stopping her.

" _What_ , Raven! Nothing you do or say is going to stop me from going over there! Either you go with me or you don't," Clarke said with eyes full of determination as she stared hard at her.

"I know, Clarke," Raven said sternly. "I'm just stopping you from walking into oncoming traffic!" she said, and Clarke turned to see that the light had changed and cars were now driving by quickly. "Listen, I've got your back no matter what, alright? I'm going with you." she finally let go of her arm, nodding, and Clarke nodded back, feeling relieved and grateful for Raven.

Once the traffic cleared again they crossed the street, and as they reached the door, Clarke's adrenaline rose, but she took a deep breath and opened it.

It was pretty dim inside, and as they looked around, it seemed like the place was designed as if it went through an apocalypse. Everything was painted to look rusted and cracked, and some of the beams overhead were made to look like they were broken. There were swords and skull décor, weathered road signs, real-looking torches, and what looked like cans of food and other survival items among the walls.

"Whoa..." she heard Raven breathe.

"Welcome to Grounders, just the two of you?" the hostess smiled. She, along with some of the other workers walking by, was dressed in dark, worn-out looking clothing, as if she herself had gone through an apocalypse; her hair holding numerous braids, and fake weapons attached at her sides. Some of them even had what appeared to be warpaint on their faces. They really went all out.

"Is Lexa here?" Clarke immediately asked, and the girl's face looked confused for a moment, but nodded.

"Yeah, give me a sec," she said, and walked away, but Clarke wasn't going to wait, and she began to follow her; Raven right behind her.

She was headed towards the back, but before she could reach it, Lexa suddenly came walking out from around the corner. She was dressed all in worn-out black, with her hair in braids, and she even had black smeared across her eyes and down her cheeks, making her look intimidating. Her eyes immediately caught Clarke's, but her face remained indifferent.

"Lexa, there's—"

"—Did you do this?" Clarke suddenly pushed passed the girl, holding the flyer out as she stared at Lexa, standing tall.

"Did I do what, Clarke?" Lexa simply asked, her eyes never leaving Clarke's.

" _Look at it_ ," Clarke demanded loudly, holding the paper out further to her.

She merely glanced down at it, before raising her eyes back up.

"No."

And she walked away.

"Uhh...well then," Raven said awkwardly, as they watched her head out towards the tables. "What now?"

"She's lying," Clarke said, beginning to follow after her. "Hey!" she called out, and Lexa stopped once more, turning to her. "You didn't even look at it, which tells me you had something to do with it. Why?" Clarke asked her angrily, catching some of the customers' attention.

"What makes you think I had anything to do with it, Clarke?" she asked her, only giving Clarke further proof that she did since she hadn't even asked what it was Clarke was accusing her of. She was keeping her features, her movements, her voice...everything stolid, and it was annoying and angering Clarke.

"Just tell me _why_ ," Clarke demanded, looking back and forth between her eyes as if she'd find the truth, but they were as secure as a blank stone wall.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Lexa continued as if she were bored of this conversation, and Clarke sighed.

"Yes, you do!"

"Please, do not raise your voice at me, Clarke," Lexa said, only furthering Clarke's anger.

"What, Lexa? What did I do that would make you go and do something like this? You know how much damage this has already caused? You know how angry my dad is at me? Why? Why would you do this?" she interrogated her, hoping she would push Lexa to the truth. She didn't care who was listening, or if she was making a scene.

"Is something wrong, here?" one of the male workers who had overheard came up to them, but they ignored him as they continued to stare at one another.

She knew she had something to do with this. She just knew.

"Why, Clarke, are you accusing me when you have no proof?" she asked her, tilting her head slightly.

"You know why. I saw the picture!" she nearly yelled, and the male worker stepped closer as more people began to look over.

"Alright, I think you need to leave," he said, wrapping his hand around her arm.

"No, I'm talking to _her_ ," Clarke snapped, yanking her arm away, but the guy reached out and grabbed it again.

"No, you need to leave, now."

"Don't touch me!" Clarke said, yanking her arm from him once more.

"Clarke, let's just go," Raven said as she looked around, beginning to gently push her as another worker came over. "Come on, she's not going to say anything."

" _Fine_ ," Clarke said, knowing she wasn't going to get an answer, but before she let Raven push her away, she stepped closer to Lexa, lowering her voice. "I don't know why you did it, or what I did to you to deserve it, but _you_ know why I'm accusing _you_ , Lexa. I saw the picture."

Lexa stared hard at her, and Clarke could see anger in her black surrounded, steely eyes as the muscles in her jaw began working, and she was sure Lexa was going to fire back.

Then, to her surprise the anger disappeared, an eerie calmness taking over, and she stepped closer to her. Clarke held her breath.

"Then, _you_ should know why, Clarke," she said quietly as her eyes pierced into hers.

Clarke's brows pulled together in confusion as she stared at her. What did she mean by that?

However, neither of them got a chance to say another word, when someone spoke, catching her attention.

"Clarke Griffin? Coming to spy for your father?" Gustus said jokingly, and Clarke tried her hardest not to glare at him.

"Actually, she was just leaving," Lexa said, taking a step back as she continued to stare at her with that stoical, yet piercing stare.

"She's right, we were just leaving," Clarke said calmly, looking back to Lexa. She knew the conversation was over. There was nothing more to say, because she didn't know what else to say. She was lost at Lexa's words. "Have a good night."

They left without another word, and crossed the street, heading back to their restaurant.

"What was all of that about?" Raven asked, just as confused as Clarke was.

"I have no idea," Clarke said honestly. What did Lexa mean when she said Clarke should know why? What did she do to make her so upset? What was she not getting? Did Lexa hear her in the bathroom and just misunderstood something? But why would she get upset about Clarke admitting she actually liked her?

"I-I have to go back," Clarke finally said, shaking her head. She needed to know why. She needed to understand what went wrong, and she began to turn back, but Raven quickly stopped her.

"Uh, probably not a good idea, Clarke," she said, and Clarke gave her a curious look. It wasn't until she noticed that Raven wasn't looking at her, but towards their restaurant, and she saw her father stomping towards them, his face red and angry.

"Where did you two go? Your shift started more than ten minutes ago and we've got people waiting!" he said angrily, but Clarke looked back towards Grounders, wishing she could go back over there and figure this mess out. Would her father even let her?

" _Clarke! Now._ "

—That was a flat out no.

She sighed as they began to follow her father, who was already steps ahead as he stomped his way back, and anger filled her.

Why was Lexa so cold? And why did she do this to her? Did she think it would be funny? Was it her intention all along, to get Clarke to like her once more, only to stab her right in the back? Perhaps Clarke was all wrong about her, _yet again_.

"What are you going to do now?" Raven asked quietly as they crossed the parking lot.

Clarke watched the ground as it moved beneath her feet, anger coursing underneath her skin. "You said you have my back, right?" she asked Raven.

"Yeah..." she trailed off, her voice lightly tinged with curiosity, and Clarke finally looked towards Raven, her face set.

"Then, we've got some planning to do."

* * *

 _ **Dun dun dunn! :o**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Finally! Another chapter!**_

 _ **I've been having some creative block, but I know this story was in need of an update, so I pushed myself to work on it. Hopefully it turned out alright and you guys like it!**_

 _ **Without further and unnecessary waiting, excuse any typos and enjoy!**_

* * *

"No, that wouldn't work," Clarke said, pacing her room as Raven laid on her bed with a notebook in front of her. They had been like this for nearly half an hour, and the brunette sighed as she crossed out yet another idea.

"What else could we do? We've already gone through several ideas," Raven said somewhat defeated.

"It's gotta be something good," Clarke said as she tried to wrack her brain, chewing on the edge of a pen, looking at her own notebook with crossed out ideas.

Finally, Raven sighed. "Should we really do anything?" she asked, and Clarke looked strangely at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Raven sat up, "I mean, wouldn't that be exactly what she'd want? Us to fight back?" she asked. Clarke didn't quite understand what she was getting at, and she quirked an eyebrow. "I just mean, wouldn't that be stooping to her level? Wouldn't the better, more mature thing to do would just be to... _not_ do anything?"

"I'm not quite sure I'm following you," Clarke said, the thirst for revenge not allowing her to see any other option.

"Well, she's probably expecting you to fire back, so she's probably forming another plan already. Wouldn't it say more if you _didn't_ do anything, and acted like it didn't affect you?" Raven tried to reason, but Clarke shook her head.

"But then she'd think she won. And it's a little too late to act like it didn't affect me when I already confronted her about it," she said, and Raven frowned slightly. "What?" Clarke asked, feeling slightly defensive. She thought Raven had her back. "Just say it."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'm not. Raven, what she did was kind of a low blow. It didn't just affect me, it affected my family, my dad. I'm not just going to sit back and let her get away with this." Clarke's brow creased as she shook her head. Lexa didn't just attack her, she attacked her father, his pride and hard work. He didn't deserve it, even though she wasn't quite sure why she deserved it either, but it affected him as well and that was something Clarke just couldn't look passed.

"Maybe you should just try talking to her, then," Raven suggested. "Figure out what happened."

"Why?" Clarke asked, staring at her. "She didn't even try talking to me about whatever it was that happened that night at the party. She just immediately attacked me, and when I did confront her, she still said nothing. —I thought you were with me on this?" she asked, starting to feel betrayed.

"No, Clarke, I am," Raven said sincerely. "I just don't want this getting out of hand, you know? Or you doing something you might regret, because once we do something, there's no taking it back."

"I won't. I just..." she tried to find the right words. Yes, the more mature thing would be to not doing anything back, to just ignore her, but Clarke had had enough. She didn't want Lexa to think she won.

"I just need you to have my back, okay? This is something I have to do. You heard my dad before. I'm a Griffin, and Griffins don't go down without a fight. She started this, I didn't. So, either you're with me, or I'm doing this alone."

Raven stared at her for a moment, contemplating, before she finally gave in and nodded. "No, Clarke, I've got your back. I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into," she paused, and Clarke waited for another talk of reasoning for a better way.

"—Because you know I can play dirty," she finally said with warning, and smiled at her with mischievousness.

Finally, Clarke smiled back.

"There's the Raven I know and love."

Raven laid back down, looking over her list as Clarke sat at her desk. "Alright, so...we said no petroleum jellied chickens..."

They sat in silence for a moment, brainstorming. Clarke didn't want to do anything that would cause any physical or costly damage, but she needed to think of something cunning. Something that would get under Lexa's skin, but what?

Clarke tore the doodle of water getting dumped on a cartoon Lexa's head and tossed it in the trash, among other silly doodles.

"Are you going to tell O?" Raven finally asked after a few good moments of writing, sighing, and scratching out.

Clarke swiveled in her chair, coming to face Raven as she thought about it for a moment, before she shook her head. "No, she doesn't need to get dragged into this."

"Have you talked to her lately?" Raven asked, and Clarke shook her head once more.

"No, have you?"

Raven shook her head with a shrug. "Not really. She still thinks we had something to do with them leaving her birthday party, even though I tried to tell her we didn't do anything."

"Well, then she doesn't need to know about this," Clarke said, and suddenly, she stopped as an idea came to her, igniting like a flame and growing with ideas. Her eyes wandered away in thought for a moment. "That's it..."

"What?" Raven asked, watching her curiously, and Clarke's eyes snapped up to hers, a spark behind her eyes.

"I think I've finally figured out the best way to strike back," Clarke said, a hint of excitement behind her words as a smile tugged at her lips, and Raven sat up.

"What? Tell me," she said eagerly.

"Birthday party."

* * *

A couple of days had passed since Lexa had done what she did, and so far things were quiet. Was Clarke planning something? Or did Lexa completely drive her away? When she thought about it, she couldn't help but feel a small pang of guilt that maybe what she had done was a step too far.

She couldn't help it. She was angry.

 _Just forget about her._ She sighed to herself.

Impossible.

Why did she care so much about Clarke and anything that had to do with her? She was just another girl. Sure, she said some things about Lexa that didn't make her feel great, but they weren't lies. Lexa was nothing good. She was selfish and inconsiderate of others. So, why did it matter that it came from Clarke's mouth?

 _It doesn't._ She told herself.

Lie.

Maybe she did feel something different for Clarke, but hadn't she warned herself not to pursue? Maybe this was her fault because she didn't listen to herself, and now look at what happened. Perhaps she was just better off alone so she didn't have to worry about getting hurt.

—Yes. It was better that way, to not care, to not become attached, to be closed off. She had less worry that way, and less heartache to just use them and let them go, as terrible as it sounded, but she had learned to think about herself. She spent far too long trying to please others, _her mother_ , putting all of her needs before her own and it didn't do a damn thing. So, one day she finally stopped caring. Perhaps that was the one thing her mother taught her, or she just inherited it from her.

Still... _she_ had started to change all of that. _She_ had taught her love, and unselfishness, and what it was like for someone to care for you, and put your needs before their own out of love and want. But _she_ was taken away from her, and Lexa couldn't help but blame herself for that. Lexa drove _her_ away that night, instead of letting her stay, and because of that, _she_ died.

If she hadn't of told her to leave, maybe she would still be alive.

Lexa could only blame herself.

 _Stop it._ She shook her head, and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to push it away. She hated feeling. It did nothing good for her.

"Are you meditating or something?" A dull voice broke her thoughts, and she opened her eyes as Anya sat down in the patio chair next to her, setting her hot cup of coffee on the table along with Lexa's.

"If I was, I'm not anymore thanks to you," Lexa said, and Anya chuckled.

They sat silently for a moment, taking the crisp morning air in as the world slowly started to come to life. It was calm, it was peaceful.

However, Lexa could feel Anya's eyes on her, but she tried her best to ignore it until Anya finally spoke.

"Lexa—"

"—No, Anya. I do not want to talk about it," she said with light irritation. She had been avoiding being alone with Anya for this very reason. Same with Lincoln, as he had tried to bring it up to Lexa once, but she shot it down and he left it alone since then.

"Why?" Anya asked, but it was gentle and laced with curiosity.

"What good would it do, Anya, please," Lexa encouraged her to explain as she looked to her with steely eyes.

"Well, for one thing, _I'd_ know what's going on in that head of yours and what's bothering you so, and...it'd make you feel better to let it out, Lexa. You know this," Anya said, a slight bite to her words.

"No, thank you," Lexa simply said, picking up her cup and taking a sip as an excuse not to say more.

However, Anya was feeling quite persistent this morning. "What did Clarke do?"

"Who says she did anything?" Lexa asked, keeping her voice calm, but her name alone sent a conflicting wave through her.

"Come on, Lexa," Anya said, annoyed, narrowing her eyes at her. "You said she was not the person you thought she was. What did you mean by that?"

Lexa sighed. She knew Anya meant well, but she just hated talking about feelings and things of the past. It happened, so what did it matter anymore? Yet, that part of her that still felt, that she tried to keep locked away, encouraged her to just say it. Get it off her chest.

"Fine," Lexa sighed again. "If you must know, I overheard Clarke talking about me."

"And? Do I need to kick her ass or something?" Anya raised her brows as if ready to take action right then and there.

"No. All that she said were things I didn't want to hear, but all truth," she said, and Anya's brow creased.

"Like what?"

"What _you've_ said to me before. I use girls to get what I want. Simple as that. Clarke was just quick to notice. I didn't think she was that aware. It just caught me off guard is all," she said nonchalantly, as if they were talking about the weather.

She didn't want to tell her the whole truth, or make it a big deal, because it wasn't...Was it?

—Then, why did she do what she did? She wanted to convince herself Clarke's words didn't bother her, but deep down she knew it did, or else she wouldn't have had Emori change the flyer.

However, she would just rather deny it than look weak. She wanted to tell herself she didn't care, that it didn't matter, and that's where she became conflicted. It bothered her enough to do something quite drastic, but she still told herself it didn't bother her at all. That what she did was just to get back at Clarke. To continue to play the game.

That's it. It was all just a game, and she wasn't one to lie down.

She could feel Anya's eyes on her, studying her, trying to find something more, but she kept her features stolid, not giving her any more than that, and she finally relaxed back into her seat.

"Fine," Anya said, taking a sip from her own cup. There was an air of defeat around her, or perhaps just acceptance that Lexa wasn't going to say more, and her next words proved it. "Tell me the entire truth when you're ready."

She didn't bring it up for the rest of the day, but while Lexa was in the kitchen, eating something light before work, Lincoln walked in wearing a coat of sweat and workout clothes.

"Hey," he said, opening the fridge and searching for something inside. He pulled out a bottle of water, opening it, but didn't leave and instead leaned against the counter, taking a drink. Lexa continued to eat, keeping her eyes on her food, but she could feel his eyes on her the entire time.

"Yes?" Lexa asked calmly, not bothering to look up. "Anya already questioned me this morning. So, go on with it."

"I just want to know what's going on," he simply said, setting the water down and crossing his arms.

She internally sighed, knowing this was coming.

"Clarke and I just don't quite see eye to eye. That's all," she said gently, standing up to throw the rest of her food away. She wasn't that much hungry anymore.

"Did she do something to you?" Lincoln asked with concern, watching her from where he stood.

"No."

"Then, what happened? I thought you guys were getting along?" he asked her, and she finally turned to him.

"Why is everyone questioning my interactions with Clarke? What does it matter to anyone?" she asked him in return, slight irritation coming from her.

He looked almost guilty for questioning her, and gently shrugged. "You guys just seemed like you were getting along at the party, so it was just surprising when you left without saying a word. Clarke seemed pretty torn up about it, to be honest."

She stopped, giving him a curious look. "What do you mean?" she asked him, having never heard this before.

"When she and Raven found out you and Anya left, she looked worried, and she kind of looked like she had been crying before. Did something happen between you two?" he asked her again, but this new information brought on new questions.

Why was she worried if she didn't care about her? Why would she have been crying? Did Lexa miss something? Did she misinterpret Clarke's words somehow? Did she just royally screw up by doing what she did?

"Did Clarke say anything to you?" she asked him instead, but to her disappointment, he shook his head.

"No. She just sat there quietly while Octavia and Raven argued, and I followed after them. Maybe you guys should talk to each other," he suggested, and for once, Lexa considered it.

"Perhaps I should..." she trailed off, her mind thinking. She hadn't expected this.

She glanced at the clock and knew she didn't have time now, but there was no denying she needed to talk to Clarke, and find out just exactly what happened. She definitely missed something. Why would Clarke have been crying that night?

"I have to get to work," she finally said, and walked away, feeling conflicted all over again.

* * *

Lexa got to work, deciding not to do any special makeup tonight, because she had made up her mind. She was going to try to talk to Clarke after work. Maybe then, all of this would make sense, or at least she would finally understand what had happened.

Still, Clarke had said what she said, Lexa heard it, but did she hear all of it? She hadn't stuck around to listen anymore, she just left. So, why would Clarke be worried, and possibly have been crying? It just didn't make sense.

She sighed and decided to push it away for now to focus, and headed out onto the floor to start work.

A raised hand had caught her eye, and she saw the woman staring at her, so she walked over to the table.

"Can I help you?"

"Are you Lexa?" the girl asked, and Lexa nodded. Oddly, the girl smiled.

"Well, today's your special day," she said, and Lexa gave her an odd stare. What did that mean?

Suddenly, one of the other people at the table pulled out what looked like a portable speaker, and he pushed a button, causing fast-paced music to fill the air. She stepped back as the people began dancing in routine, standing up from their table as they smiled and stared at her. Something caught her eye, and she looked over to see more people at various tables around her doing the same.

What was going on?

Some of the lyrics caught her ear, something about a celebration as these people started dancing around her, and she realized it was one of those 'flash mob' type of routines. Why were they doing this?

Just then, something bright caught her eye, and she watched as a few men dressed as clowns came into the restaurant. One of them was juggling colorful light up balls, another holding a great amount of balloons began to pass them out, and a third was balancing on a small unicycle, honking a small horn.

Kids and customers in the restaurant began looking excited and clapping along with the beat of the music as they watched the scene unfold, and even the workers stopped to watch with enthused smiles.

A dancer then came up to Lexa, and she froze as they wrapped a sash around her with the words 'birthday girl' on it.

She stared confused, because it was not her birthday.

As they continued to dance around her, two of the dancers suddenly appeared with a large flat cake with sparklers on top, and stopped right in front of her, dancing with it. She couldn't even bring herself to fake a smile as she felt every single pair of eyes on her, and she was boiling underneath, because she finally figured out what exactly was going on.

 _Retaliation._

Finally, as it was coming to an end, all of the dancers then held up party poppers, and they all let them go with a quick _pop_ above Lexa's head, showering her with confetti and brightly colored string, causing the customers and workers to laugh, but she was not amused in the slightest.

However, the pop scared the clown on the unicycle, and he started to wobble, trying to regain balance, but the clown that was juggling did not see him, and bumped right into him. The juggler went stumbling back, trying to catch all of his light up balls, and fell into one of the dancers holding the cake.

Lexa quickly took a step back as the other dancer tried to hold it up on his own end, swinging it around and stumbling the other way. Everyone watched anxiously as the dancer tripped over the juggling clown on the floor, and fell towards the struggling clown on the unicycle, who tried to wheel himself backwards, only to fall back, and his foot collided with the platter, punting the cake into the air.

Lexa watched in horror as the cake flew towards her, but the juggling clown had stood up too soon in its path, and it collided with him, exploding. Pieces of cake and frosting showered her from where she stood with her hands up trying to protect herself, and it became silent as everyone stared in shock.

She was splattered with cake and frosting and confetti.

"Oh my god —Lexa, are you okay?" one of the female workers ran up to her.

She was seething, nearly shaking with angry adrenaline, but remained silent as one face came to mind.

 _Clarke._

This was her doing. She put these people up to this. She planned this.

"...Lexa? Are you—" her co-worker began again quietly, but Lexa's eyes snapped to hers, immediately quieting her.

"Clean this up and get them out of here," she said acidly through clenched teeth, and headed towards the back bathroom to clean herself off.

She wiped her skin hard, fire coursing through her veins. She had not seen this coming.

 _Smart move._ She thought as she looked in the mirror; pieces of cake and frosting on her face and in her hair, along with confetti sprinkles and string. She never thought Clarke could be so cunning, and oddly, she felt that spark of interest, but there was also a mixture of ire with it. She was glad her uncle nor Anya were working tonight to see the mess, and she was going to have to make sure no one said a word to them because they would certainly question her. Anya wouldn't matter so much, but she couldn't get her uncle involved. She angrily grabbed a handful more of paper towels, wetting them and wiping her face and working on her hair. There was no way she would be able to get all of this out without a shower, but she couldn't go home either.

She threw the cake and frosting covered paper towels away and stared into the mirror.

This had Clarke written all over it. She knew the exploding cake was an accident, but it still didn't falter the anger she felt. It had a message in it just like the deer painting; Octavia's birthday party. Clever.

" _When she and Raven found out you and Anya left, she looked worried, and she kind of looked like she had been crying before."_ Lincoln's voice echoed in her head.

If she had been so worried and crying that night at the party after she left, why did she decide do this instead? —Well, she knew it was to get back at her for the fake painting event, but what was the meaning of all of this? Why were they doing this to each other?

She sighed. It all didn't make sense.

"Lexa? Are you alright?" a voice came from the other side of the door as they knocked, but she ignored them as she continued to stare in the mirror, picturing Clarke's face and hearing her laughter in her head, and she smirked. The thirst for revenge igniting in her.

So, was it a war Clarke wanted?

Because that is exactly what she was going to get.

* * *

Clarke and Raven watched the video, trying to hold in their laughter. One of the people who were in on it had recorded it and sent it to Raven, but as they watched the cake explode all over Lexa, Clarke's smile slightly faded. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Raven on the other hand, burst into laughter. They watched as it became awkwardly silent, Lexa's eyes full of anger, and she walked away. The video ended.

"Shit..." Clarke said, covering her mouth. "That wasn't supposed to happen, Raven!"

"I know, which makes it brilliant!" she said, holding her stomach as she laughed.

"I don't know..." Clarke shook her head, making a face. That was _not_ supposed to happen. It was just supposed to be something to get back at Lexa, not completely embarrass her in front of everyone. What if Lexa thought that was her intention, to completely embarrass her? Worry ran through Clarke for a moment. It wasn't supposed to happen like that, and Clarke knew that if that had happened to her, she would be beyond furious.

"Maybe...Maybe I should apologize..?" Clarke asked with uncertainty as Raven's laughter finally died down, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What? No way, Clarke." Raven shook her head, her features slightly becoming defensive. "It was just a little bit of cake and frosting, so what? She's the one who started this. She made that fake event and got you yelled at, remember?"

"Yeah, but...that was really messed up, Raven," Clarke said, dropping her shoulders.

"Well, that wasn't _our_ fault. We didn't make the cake explode all over her. We shouldn't feel bad for that," she said, but Clarke was still uncertain.

"I don't know, I feel like I should apologize still, or...I don't know. I just feel really terrible that happened," she said, crossing her arms over her torso as she began having second thoughts about all of this. She didn't know what to do. "Maybe I should apologize."

"No. Just wait and see what happens. Maybe now she'll know not to mess with you after this," Raven said more gently, her features softening.

Clarke looked away, thoughts running through her head. She truly felt terrible. She didn't mean for that to happen, but still...she did have the intentions of getting back at Lexa… She would have been mad either way, right?

 _Probably not as furious as she looked though…_ Clarke thought to herself. She thought Lexa had made a low blow with the fake event, but Clarke felt like she just took it down another level.

They sat silently once more, Clarke no longer finding what had just happened quite amusing or entertaining, and the air had become thick. Raven's phone buzzed. She checked it, and then put it away.

"Well, I gotta get going, but...don't feel bad, Clarke. Like you said, she's been messing with you since the moment she met you. She asked for it. The cake was just an accident. Don't sweat it," Raven said firmly, and Clarke nodded, watching her leave.

She sighed as she fell back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

 _Maybe Raven's right. I shouldn't feel bad. I only did one thing. She's done so much to me...She started all of this first. But...why do I feel so bad?_ She questioned herself. Was she afraid that she had really upset Lexa? She just wanted to get under her skin, show her that she wasn't going to just let her actions slide by, but she didn't mean to humiliate her in the process.

Maybe she should just apologize.

* * *

Clarke waited each day anxiously; constantly expecting something to happen, but so far, nothing.

Luckily, no word had spread, at least not to Octavia, because she had finally messaged Clarke.

 _ **Octavia: Hey**_

 _ **Clarke: Hey. How are you?**_

 _ **Octavia: I'm alright. I'm sorry I blamed you at my party.**_

 _ **Clarke: It's alright. I probably would have done the same if it were reversed.**_

 _ **Octavia: Will you tell me what happened though?**_

 _ **Clarke: I honestly don't know what happened. We were getting along, I went to the bathroom, maybe possibly cried a little to Raven because I was drunk, and found out Lexa left. But I do feel like it might have been my fault.**_

 _ **Octavia: How so?**_

 _ **Clarke: I think I might have made Lexa uncomfortable. I don't know. But…**_

Clarke contemplated on telling Octavia what Lexa had done, making the fake event, but that would mean she would have to tell her what she did in return…

 _ **Clarke: I don't know, O. I think we're just not meant to be friends.**_

 _ **Octavia: Yeah, I don't know either, Clarke. It just makes me sad. I want everyone to get along is all.**_

 _ **Clarke: I know, O, and I'm sorry.**_

 _ **Octavia: Don't be. Just know that I won't surprise invite you guys anywhere together if that will help.**_

 _ **Clarke: Yeah, it'd probably be for the best.**_

In all honesty, Clarke was worried what would happen if her and Lexa came face-to-face. Would they ignore each other? Yell at each other?

She began thinking about school, and she actually felt quite nervous about it, because Lexa was going to be there. Would she speak to her? Would they have any classes together?

She sighed as she thought about everything that had happened between them. It was all so messed up, but irritation filled her because Raven was right, Lexa did start all of this. Why? Why was she out to get under Clarke's skin? Why did they have to play this game with each other? What happened that night at the party that would cause Lexa to go as far as to attack Clarke in such a way?

Maybe after all of this, they would finally just leave each other alone. It seemed like there was no hope in the future for them, even as just friends, especially after what had just happened, and Clarke wasn't sure if she could even keep this up. It wasn't like she wanted it to turn out this way.

She hoped that maybe this would finally be the end of it since nothing had happened so far, but a deep feeling in her gut told her this may only just be the beginning. There was no way Lexa would just let this go. She would fire back, Clarke was sure of it.

She just hoped she was wrong.

* * *

Lexa had been debating with herself.

"Alright. Come on, just say it." Anya suddenly paused the movie, looking towards her. "I can tell you want to say something."

Apparently, it showed on her face as well.

"Alright," she finally said, making up her mind, and Anya turned her full attention to her. "Remember when I said I heard Clarke talking about me?" she asked, and Anya nodded quietly. "Well...I may have...done something out of spite."

She proceeded to tell Anya what she had Emori do, and in surprise, Anya laughed.

"Really? You actually did that?" she asked with a smile. For some reason, Lexa didn't expect her to find it amusing, but she nodded.

"However, Clarke got back at me recently," she said, and Anya waited for her to continue. "She organized this flash mob dance party at work, and it didn't end very well. I got confetti and cake splattered all over me because she hired these clumsy clowns to be there, as well."

"Wait, what?" Anya asked, sitting up more. Lexa recalled the event in detail, and again, Anya laughed when she finished, but Lexa glared at her.

"It wasn't funny," she said darkly, and her cousin dropped her smile.

"You're right, sorry. So...that's what's been going on?" she asked, and Lexa nodded once more. "Why didn't you say anything?" she shook her head in question, and Lexa merely shrugged.

"It's between Clarke and I," she simply said. "I didn't want anyone else to get involved, I guess."

"Well, I certainly didn't expect that," Anya said, looking away for a moment in thought, before she looked over at Lexa again. "So, what are we going to do?" she asked.

" _'We'_?" Lexa raised a brow in her direction.

"Uhh, yeah, we. I'm intrigued now, and we can't let that little blonde princess get away with something like this. Does she know who we are?" Anya asked, determination crossing her features and Lexa contemplated for a moment. Should she really get Anya involved?

"I bet you that Raven helped her, too, you know," she added, and Lexa realized she hadn't considered that. They were best friends, after all, why wouldn't Raven be helping her?

"You would really want to help me get back at Clarke?" she asked, and Anya nodded, a sort of malice mixing with her smirk.

"Yes."

She thought about it more, but she knew that even if she said no, Anya would find a way to slide herself into the situation. And if Raven truly was helping Clarke, it would be nice if Lexa had someone on her side, rather than playing this game alone.

"Alright." she finally nodded, and Anya's smile widened. "But Lincoln isn't going to know about this," she said sternly, and Anya nodded. She knew Lincoln and Octavia had gotten closer, and it was apparent that Octavia didn't know what was happening between her and Clarke, because she had a feeling Octavia would have said something by now to Lincoln if she did.

"So, what are we going to do?"

Lexa looked away; her mind working.

"First, we're going to wait a bit, —at least until school starts," Lexa began, and Anya pouted.

"Aww, what? Why?"

"Element of surprise." Lexa smirked gently. "Everyone will be distracted with school by then."

"Ooh, I see. Clever." Anya nodded with a smirk, but it quickly disappeared. "—Wait, what are you going to do when you see Clarke at school though?" she asked.

"I'm not really sure," Lexa said honestly. What would she do if she saw Clarke? What would Clarke do when she saw her? What if they had a class together?

"Maybe you should act like nothing happened, and like nothing is going to happen," Anya spoke, breaking her thoughts. "Just act, well...like your intimidating, mysterious self," she said, and Lexa raised a brow at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if I were Clarke, and I knew you were trying to sabotage me, or possibly planning revenge, but you acted like nothing was happening, that would only make me more worried, anxious, and paranoid," she said, and Lexa considered it.

"You think so?" she questioned Anya, who nodded.

"It would probably drive Clarke nuts."

Lexa gently smiled at the thought. She quite liked the thought of getting under Clarke's skin, and the revengeful side of her definitely encouraged the motive. Perhaps that's just what she would do.

"Alright," Anya sat up more, a rather excited glint in her eyes. "What's the plan?"

* * *

Clarke woke up from her alarm, feeling rather anxious. Why? Well, for one thing, she hadn't heard or seen Lexa since the night she had gotten back at her. It was eerily quiet on her end, only making Clarke more anxious, and for another, today was the first day of school.

She had tried in a round-about, nonchalant way to ask Octavia what the Woods had been up to, since Octavia kept her word and hadn't planned any get-togethers with them, but all she mostly got was hers and Lincoln's interactions.

She had found out more from her father what they were doing business-wise, remembering when he had come home angrily the other day for lunch.

" _Damn them," he said angrily, slamming his keys on the counter, causing Clarke to jump and nearly drop her fork._

" _What's wrong?" she asked, watching him stand there clenching his jaw._

" _Woods is what's wrong!" he spat._

" _What? What did he do?" Clarke asked, feeling her defensiveness rising already._

" _He's putting in a damn drive-thru already. I saw them working on it today." he shook his head with his hands on his hips, shifting his weight from foot to foot._

" _Really?" Clarke asked, wide-eyed. "We were going to do that!"_

" _I know." He shook his head again. "Now, it's going to look like we're trying to copy them!"_

" _What are we going to do?" Clarke asked gently, watching her father as he glared at the ground._

" _We're going to have to do something else. Delivery, or...something, I don't know," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. She couldn't help but feed off of his irritation, but also feel sorry for her father because he had talked of installing a drive-thru to boost business some time ago._

 _Now, how were they going to compete?_

She sighed as her alarm went off again, pulling her back to the present, and hit the 'snooze' button. She would really rather just skip the last year of school now, if she could. She didn't like this 'not knowing'. She didn't like not knowing what was going to happen. She didn't like not knowing what her and Lexa would do if they saw each other. Should she just ignore her? Or should she buck up and apologize? Maybe put this behind them finally? Would Lexa even want to talk to her? Or would she herself ignore Clarke? And what about her father?

Even if her and Lexa somehow worked it out, there was no way her father would be happy about them becoming friends, she just knew it. Not that she could see them becoming friends at this point anyhow.

She sighed once more, feeling mentally exhausted by all of this. She just wanted it to be over, or to just go away, but she knew she wouldn't be that lucky. Still, she wondered what was going to happen between her and Lexa, because she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid her completely at school. They were bound to run into each other.

Her alarm went off again, and she finally dismissed it. She figured she would just have to get up and go to school, and see what was up for herself.

Once she was all dressed and ready to go, she dropped Aden off at his school before heading to the high school, the familiarity quickly coming back to her. She actually missed school, being able to see everyone, and getting excited for school events and games, and to know that it was her last year only increased these feelings.

This time however, a part of her was slightly dreading it.

Suddenly, a horn snapped her out of her mind, and she looked over to see Raven parked next to her with Octavia in the passenger seat and the top down, both smiling. She smiled and finally got out of her car.

"We're back bitches!" Octavia yelled with her hands raised up, and Raven hollered excitedly into the air.

Clarke chuckled at the two, and waited as they climbed out.

"Ah, smell that?" Raven asked, breathing in the air as they began to head towards the buildings.

Octavia took a whiff, and then made a face. "Car exhaust?"

"No, dork. Seniority!" Raven smiled widely, and watched as the new freshmen got off of the buses, looking anxious and rather scared on the first day.

"And _fresh meat_ ," she said mischievously, rubbing her hands together as she eyed them.

"I worry about you sometimes," Clarke said, remembering all of the times Raven mentioned Senior pranks over the summer, and she laughed maniacally.

"Maybe you should worry about them more," Octavia said, nodding to the freshmen.

"Just be thankful your brother isn't a freshman this year," she said, and frowned. "I'm kind of bummed I don't get to pick on him more than what I do."

Clarke rolled her eyes. "I think _you_ were meant to be his sister instead."

As they got closer to the school, Octavia and Raven continued talking, but Clarke had become quiet as her thoughts took over again, and she took a deep breath, hoping for the best.

* * *

So far, things were going good. Clarke had only caught a glimpse of Anya once at the other end of the hall, but they were headed in opposite directions. She had seen Lincoln, of course, but other than that, she was Lexa-free.

She entered her Biology class, and took a seat at one of the long two-seated tables near the center row. Familiar faces entered the room, nodding and greeting each other, talking excitedly about their summer, and the bell finally rung.

"Alright, settle down and take your seats," Mr. Pike entered the room, going over to his desk and looking at some papers, before finally pulling up what Clarke assumed was the class roster. "Okay, we're going to begin with roll-call," he said, and began calling some names.

Just then, Clarke looked up to see Raven quickly walking into the room, and relief filled her. Raven's eyes lit up when she saw Clarke, but Mr. Pike spoke up.

"Well, glad you could finally join us Miss Reyes," he said, leaning against his desk and crossing his arms. "There should be a good reason you're late," he said sternly.

"Well, you know, walking around with half a numb leg kind of takes away the pep in my step," Raven said sarcastically as she passed him. Her and Mr. Pike never really got along.

"Now, don't give me that." he shook his head. "I've seen you run with that leg last year when I caught you out of class."

"Maybe you scared it half to death," she said, causing some of the others to laugh quietly as she began to head towards Clarke's table.

"Oh no, don't even think about sitting next to Miss Griffin," he said, and Raven sighed, rolling her eyes as her back was turned to him. She instead, sat at the table behind Clarke.

"Nope." He shook his head. "One more."

"Ugh, are you serious, Pike?" Raven asked him, and he raised his brows at her.

"Never have I give out a detention on the first day of school, but I'd be honored to give you one, Miss Reyes," he said, staring intensely at her.

Clarke quickly turned around just as Raven opened her mouth, and she raised her own eyebrows at her, giving her a look that said _"Stop."_.

She closed her mouth and gave her a grumpy glare.

"Good," Mr. Pike said, and resumed roll-call.

Just as he was about finished, something caught Clarke's eye near the door, and her breath hitched up into her throat as her heart tried to join it.

"And just might who you be?" Mr. Pike stood up, and Lexa handed him a note. "Ah, Miss Woods. Your father must be that new restaurant owner?" he asked.

"Uncle, sir," she simply said, and it was almost as if she knew Clarke was there, because her eyes instantly swept over to her. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, all the while Clarke's mind racing.

"Well, I'll excuse your tardiness this time because it's your first day in a new school, but don't be late again," Mr. Pike said, pulling Lexa's eyes back to him.

"I apologize and understand," she said with a nod.

"Ah, see, Miss Reyes? You could learn something from this one," he said, and Clarke heard her scoff, bringing her to turn and look at Raven with a panicked look.

Raven shared a look with her that said _"I know!"._

"Why don't you have a seat there next to Miss Griffin, and maybe you can _remind her that her eyes should be towards the front_ ," Mr. Pike emphasized so that Clarke could hear, and she closed her eyes for a moment in annoyance, before facing forward.

She kept her eyes on the back of a student in front of her as Lexa made her way and sat down next to her, causing Clarke to feel tense.

She felt her phone go off, and as Mr. Pike turned around to his desk, she snuck out her phone, keeping it out of sight from Lexa's eyes, and read Raven's text.

 _ **Raven: Act normal! Pretend you don't know a thing!**_

She immediately understood and stuffed her phone away before Mr. Pike could catch her, and tried with all of her might not to look over at Lexa.

Mr. Pike began going over the curriculum he had planned out, passing out their textbooks, and talking to the students of what they were to expect.

However, Clarke was too distracted at the thought of being seated next to Lexa all year, and panic had filled her. This was the moment she was dreading. She would have rather taken to having to pass by Lexa in the hall, or even just been on opposite sides of the room, but no. She just had to be seated right next to her.

" _Clarke."_

She froze for a moment, wondering if she had truly heard the gentle sound, or if she had imagined it, and finally took a small glance in Lexa's direction, finding striking green eyes on her.

"Lexa," she said, forcing her features to remain calm yet confident. She wasn't going to show Lexa any form of uncertainty.

"Your book," Lexa said, her expression stolid, holding out the textbook. Clarke looked down and reached for it, but she felt a slight resistance to her pull, and looked up at Lexa, realizing she was still holding onto it.

They stared at each other again, almost challengingly, and in a way that screamed _"I'm onto you."_

Clarke could feel her cheeks becoming warm, and pulled just slightly harder. Lexa finally let it slip from her grasp, before the haunting flirtatious smirk tilted the corner of her lip, and Clarke looked away, feeling confused and irritated.

This was going to be a long year.

* * *

 _ **Hope you guys enjoyed!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Yay! Here's the next chapter!**_

 _ **Thank you guys for the reviews, favorites and follows! Hope you guys like this next chapter!**_

* * *

Neither of them hardly said more than two words to each other the entire rest of the class.

Clarke was anxious; her nerves sticking out on its ends like an uneasy cactus. Should she say something? Should she just keep quiet? She couldn't think straight. She felt like she couldn't even breathe normally, and she was fidgety. She was glad that Mr. Pike was filling the otherwise silent room with first-day-of-school conversation, and when the bell finally rung, relief washed over Clarke like a soothing wave.

However, they both stood up out of their seats simultaneously, coming face-to-face with one another, and they stared at each other much like they always found themselves doing.

Immediately, thoughts of apologies flooded Clarke's mind, a part of her urging to form them into a sentence, but the other part of her told her to keep quiet, and that if anyone should apologize, it should be Lexa. She started this whole damn thing.

Still, Clarke felt guilt for the cake explosion, and in all honesty, she didn't like this rivalry going on between them. Thoughts of them getting along at the party tugged at her guilt that she kind of wished it had never happened, only because then she wouldn't be feeling like this.

She didn't like it.

" _Clarke."_

She said her name so softly, and there was something in Lexa's eyes that almost seemed like she did, in fact, want to say something to Clarke. They were gentle, and Clarke wasn't sure if her own eyes were playing tricks on her or not, but she thought she could almost see a very light pleading or sorrow in them, but in the blink of an eye it all vanished. Her eyes became distant and cold, and slightly narrowed as Clarke saw movement out of her peripheral, telling her that Raven was approaching them. She heard her clear her throat.

"Hey, ready to go?" Raven asked, trying to hide the tension and uneasiness in her voice.

" _Y-Yeah."_ was all Clarke could get out, reaching down and grabbing her backpack, and her eyes returned to Lexa as she picked up her own things.

That guilty part of her wanted to be civil and ask Lexa if she knew the way to her next class, and she debated on whether she should act on it or not, but she didn't get a chance as Lexa swiftly turned and left.

"What was that about?" Raven asked quietly as they slowly made their way out of the classroom, putting distance between them and Lexa.

"I don't know, I think she was going to say something," Clarke said with uncertainty as she watched the back of Lexa's head before it disappeared into a sea of students heading to their next classes.

"Whatever," Raven sighed, holding onto the straps of her backpack that hung off of her shoulders. "Let's go before I get crap again from another teacher for being late."

She headed to her next class without Raven, which happened to be art. She began to feel slightly better as she always looked forward to her art classes, but as she entered, her tension rose once more.

 _Another class? Seriously?_ She sighed to herself as she saw Lexa sitting at one of the art tables. All of the tables were formed in a square U shape, and Lexa was sitting in the far corner towards the back. She looked around for a spot to sit, and noticed Murphy in the other corner, too busy talking to another student, and realized his and Lexa's tables were the only available spots.

 _You have_ _ **got**_ _to be kidding me._ She thought irate. _Of course! Of course this would happen!_

Just then, Murphy looked up and noticed Clarke, and then his eyes swept over to Lexa. She suddenly realized he didn't know a thing that had gone on between them, and she quickly had to make a choice: Sit by Murphy —which would make him realize whatever he thought was going on between them had ended— or sit by _her_ and pretend like everything was fine.

 _Shit._ She cursed inwardly, and it was almost as if Lexa had heard it, because her eyes rose up to Clarke, who's own eyes shifted towards Murphy again, who was still staring at her, then back to her. They were both staring at her, waiting for her to choose.

Lexa's eyes were challenging, yet amused, and Murphy's were almost eager.

The bell rung.

 _Shit._ She repeated to herself, and forced her feet to move, feeling pressured. She had to make a choice.

She sat down next to Murphy.

"Clarke," he smiled, resting his elbow on the desk and his head against his palm, and she was reminded of a fox. She didn't like the way he said her name all forceful and quick, not like the smooth, gentle way Lexa did.

 _What? No._ She scolded herself at the thought.

"Murphy," she said, looking away and busying herself with her backpack. This just made this class a lot less exciting, and more miserable.

"Why aren't you sitting over there?" he nodded his head, and she immediately knew what he meant without even needing to look.

"I dunno." she shrugged, pretending to search for something in her bag and not feel irritated. Maybe she made the less better choice. Lexa more than likely would have just ignored her.

"Huh," he simply said, his cunning smile deepening on his face. "How's your first day going?" he asked her. Clarke couldn't help but glance over in Lexa's direction finally, surprised to find her piercing eyes on Murphy instead, before she turned them away, and that familiar spark sizzled through her.

Jealousy? It couldn't be.

"Alright. Yours?" Clarke looked away as well.

"Better now." He smiled. She immediately became annoyed when she felt pressure just ever so slightly shift her stool, meaning Murphy had placed his foot on her foot rest. It was a small gesture that peeved her greatly, as if he were invading her personal space.

"What are you doing for lunch?"

She inwardly sighed, both surprised and not that he would ask her this.

"Probably going somewhere with just Raven and Octavia," she said specifically, hoping he'd pick up on the hint.

"Cool. Cool." He nodded, and stretched his arms. "Yeah, I'll probably just go somewhere with the guys."

This conversation was going nowhere, and she became internally grateful when the art teacher began to speak, giving her an excuse to stop talking to him.

"Alright, class," Miss Cartwig began, and started her first-day-of-school speech.

Clarke eventually began doodling on a piece of paper, pretending she was listening to the art teacher and trying to ignore Murphy, who kept making comments here and there, only rising her annoyance of him. She felt her phone go off, and knew Miss Cartwig was more laid back and didn't quite care as much about students' phones being out like the other teachers, and she pulled it from her pocket, keeping it hidden by her backpack she had placed on the desk between her and Murphy —which didn't serve much of a block from him anyway.

 _ **Unknown: You surprise me, Clarke.**_

She felt butterflies clench her stomach with anxiety and her heart skip as if she had just missed a giant step, because there was only one person coming to her mind that this kind of text could be from. She tried to think of how to respond, because it felt like there were multiple meanings behind these words. She could say a lot to this simple statement, but opted for a simple answer.

 _ **Clarke: So do you.**_

She felt the urge to question her.

First off, how she got her number, and who gave it to her, but most importantly, what had happened between them. What had gone wrong. Why they suddenly seemed to dislike each other more than before, but she felt it too late to ask. It seemed like too much time had gone by, and it felt like too much had already happened, so she was left with staring at the short conversation, unsure of what to say or even think, until her screen turned black.

However, a short moment later she felt the vibration of her phone again, her adrenaline tingling under her skin, and checked it.

 _ **Unknown: Why have you been ignoring me?**_

She felt irritation and bewilderment quickly fill her as she stared at the text. What kind of question was that? Why wouldn't she ignore her after all that she has done! After everything that has happened? And she was ignoring her in return too!

 _ **Unknown: Look, I'm sorry. It was a dumb thing for me to do.**_

Again, her heart skipped a beat and her stomach dropped as she read the text over and over. She was apologizing? This caught Clarke off guard, and she took a quick glance over to Lexa, but she was staring at the teacher, and Clarke quickly looked back to her phone; her mind racing.

She tried to think of the best way to respond, and decided to just be up front.

 _ **Clarke: What happened? Why did you do it? What did I do to deserve that?**_

 _ **Unknown: I don't know. Again, it was dumb of me, and I'm sorry. You didn't deserve it.**_

 _ **Unknown: I just...I can't stop thinking about you.**_

Her heart began to race, and this time she dared not look at Lexa, because she could feel her cheeks burning. She thought about her? She didn't respond, because she wasn't quite sure how, trying to process all of this, and soon another text came.

 _ **Unknown: I want to make things right again.**_

She was completely confused. Where was all of this coming from?

 _ **Clarke: I just don't understand what happened.**_ She replied honestly.

 _ **Unknown: I was just stressed. Things weren't going right, and so I made a choice. A choice that I believe I'm beginning to regret.**_

 _ **Unknown: But I want to make things right again. I miss you. And...I want to kiss you again.**_

Her heart was hammering in her chest now. She reread the last sentence to make sure she was seeing it correctly; butterflies attacking her stomach relentlessly, and to her surprise, hope filled her. What made her change? Could this be a new start? Could they be something...more?

She hadn't expected this at all, especially with the way things had been going, but deep down, she couldn't say that it didn't actually make her happy. Maybe they could work it out.

 _ **Unknown: Sorry, I probably shouldn't have said that, but it's the truth.**_

 _ **Clarke: ...Really?**_ Was all she could bring herself to reply. She was almost at a loss for words.

 _ **Unknown: Yes, Clarke.**_

 _ **Clarke: So, then, what? What do we do now?**_ She asked, hoping for some kind of direction, some kind of answer to all of this, and waited anxiously; chewing her bottom lip.

She stole another glance in Lexa's direction, and found her looking down at her lap. She was replying, and it only increased Clarke's anxiousness for her answer.

 _ **Unknown: Well...I was thinking about coming back, and maybe we could start over.**_

Clarke stared at the text for a moment, confused. What? What was she talking about?

 _ **Clarke: Coming back?**_

 _ **Unknown: Yeah.**_

Her brow creased as she stared at Lexa's response.

Now, she really didn't understand. What was she talking about? Coming back from where? What did she mean?

She waited a moment before responding, trying to figure out what she meant, wondering if she was just being her mysterious self. Did she mean figuratively?

"—then, later on we'll have a few projects where you will have a partner, but don't think you'll get to choose." Mrs. Cartwig caught her attention for a moment. "I'm going to assign partners for you."

 _Partners._

Suddenly, it hit her.

 _ **Clarke: Who is this?**_

 _ **Unknown: Uhh...Finn…? Who did you think it was Clarke?**_

She forgot she had deleted his number.

It felt like a ton of bricks had just fell on her, crushing her, and she sat back; her hope vanishing in an instant. She wasn't talking to Lexa at all.

She glanced over at her once more, and found Lexa staring at her; a rather curious look in her eyes, and she looked down at the desk, feeling an odd urge to cry.

She had just misread everything. She got it all wrong, had gotten her hopes up, began looking towards the future, and it was all suddenly taken away; crushed. It made her feel even more worse about the situation between her and Lexa, and how easily she was hopeful for a better relationship between them.

How could she be so stupid?

She quickly felt her anger rise, more at herself than anything; feeling betrayed by her emotions at how easy and quickly they were willing to forgive Lexa. But once again, she had it all wrong.

She returned to her phone, unable to help but feel angry at Finn, as if he had planned this; as if he was trying to trick Clarke into believing it was Lexa. Even though she knew that was ridiculous and untrue, she couldn't help it.

 _ **Clarke: No one. Was just making sure. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can. I need to focus on myself. Sorry.**_

And she stuffed her phone away into her backpack, not wanting to look at it anymore.

She felt angry, hopeless, and embarrassed.

Would things ever go right again?

* * *

When Lexa saw Clarke enter the art classroom, she felt amused that they had yet, another class together.

However, she noticed Clarke looked rather panicked, contemplation tightening her features, and as her eyes darted around the room, Lexa realized Clarke had only two options to sit: either by her, or next to a boy she realized was the one she was running from at their house warming party.

 _Interesting._ Lexa thought as she watched Clarke.

Would she be bold enough to sit next to her? Surely, Clarke didn't want to sit next to that boy, who was staring at her with rather hungry and expectant eyes, and Lexa was sure Clarke would buck up and sit by her. They already had to sit next to each other in Biology.

The bell rung, and Lexa waited for Clarke to make her way over to her table, but a strange feeling washed over her as she watched Clarke move.

She sat next to _him._

When she saw a smug smile spread across that boy's face, and his eyes flash at Lexa for a moment in a joyous, prideful way when Clarke was looking in her bag, she felt a tightness pull in her chest. A dislike for the boy blooming inside of her.

Did she really just decide to sit next to him?

 _I don't care._

 _I don't._

She set her eyes on the teacher, trying to ignore the feeling. She shouldn't care that Clarke sat next to him, that was her choice, but as class went on, Lexa began to notice Clarke glancing at her every now and then. Why?

Was she trying to get her to react to the choice she made? Was she trying to rub it in her face in a way?

 _I don't care._

However, she oddly had this...brightened look on her face, like something was making her happy. Was she planning something again?

Lexa could only assume so, and it made her cautious, along with the tightness in her chest.

She would have to keep her guard up.

When she looked at her again though, something in Clarke's features changed. Her eyes looked confused, and when she looked up once more, Lexa was more than positive there were hurt in her eyes. Clarke quickly looked away, but there was no hiding that she seemed upset.

Curiosity prodded Lexa greatly, but this time she listened to the side of her that warned her to stay clear. She couldn't be sure of Clarke anymore, but she needed to be aware of her. She had already proven to be a cunning creature.

She wouldn't be a fool again.

Class finally ended, and it was now lunch time. She hung back a bit to avoid running into Clarke, but she needn't wait long as it seemed like Clarke zipped through the students to get out of the class quickly, and thoughts swarmed Lexa's mind.

She was obviously avoiding her.

Something was up, she was certain of it, and with inquisitive thoughts she finally made her way out of the classroom.

She went to her locker, making her plan to find Anya, but as she was putting some of her new books away, she caught Anya out of the corner of her eye, making her way towards her.

" _Finally,"_ she sighed, leaning against the lockers. "I've been starving since first period."

"You ate that entire egg sandwich right when we got to school," Lexa pointed out as she shut her locker.

"Yeah, and I'm even more starving now that you brought that up," Anya said, pushing off of the lockers as they began to walk down the hall. "Let's go find Lincoln so he can take us somewhere."

As Lexa had expected, and to Anya's dismay, Lincoln wanted to take Octavia somewhere for lunch, leaving the two to fend for themselves.

"There's still the cafeteria," he said, pulling out his phone to text Octavia on her whereabouts.

"Ugh, forget it. I'll just starve," she droned, glaring at the cafeteria building.

"Or there's the gas station right down the road," he said sympathetically.

"I'm not walking all the way down there," she said, now glaring at him.

"Fine, how about I bring you something back?" he offered, and she didn't respond, which meant she was fine with that option.

"Is a sub alright?" he asked when they made it outside. Octavia was standing near the parking lot, waiting expectantly.

"Make it quick," she said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, and he chuckled gently.

"Alright, see you in a little bit, then," he said, and hurried ahead towards Octavia.

They walked over to a wooden table near a tree that none of the other students had claimed yet, and sat down.

"Ugh, I'm already over this boring day," Anya groaned, laying her head on her arm, and then looked to Lexa. "Anything interesting on your end?"

"I have two classes with Clarke so far," Lexa simply said, watching the other students talking and laughing with one another.

"Oh, really?" Anya raised her head, a light smirk on her lips. "How'd those go?"

Lexa merely shrugged. "We didn't speak much. I was assigned to the seat next to her in Biology. However..." she paused, reflecting back on art class. "She decided to sit next to that kid she was running from, at the house warming party, in our art class."

"What?" Anya raised her brows, and Lexa nodded.

"My seat and his seat were the only ones open, and she chose to sit by him," she said, feeling that something in her chest when she thought about the way he smiled at Clarke when she sat down, but she tried to push it away. "She kept looking at me, though."

"Why?" Anya asked, and Lexa shrugged again.

"She might be up to something."

It was silent for a moment, apparent both of them were trying to think of what Clarke could be up to, and Anya broke the silence between them.

"Speaking of which...are we still getting back at her?"

Lexa thought about it, unable to force away that tightness in her chest still that Clarke had _chose_ to sit by that boy. Was it another hidden message? Was she trying to tell her something when she decided to sit by the boy she was running from, that led her to Lexa again?

 _It doesn't matter. What's done is done._

"Do you think I would let the cake incident go?" Lexa raised a slender brow at her, and Anya smiled.

"Well, then, what's the plan?"

* * *

Three days.

It had only been three days of school and Clarke was already exhausted of it all. She and Lexa still didn't speak a word to each other; barely even acknowledged each other in Biology, and went on to ignore each other in art. It was exhausting to keep it up; to act like she didn't care, to act like being close to Lexa wasn't antagonizing, to pretend that she wasn't bothered by the whole situation.

But deep down it bothered her greatly.

She just wished it all went away. She wished they could start over. She wished things would change for the better, but she knew she couldn't be that lucky.

She finally had to work tonight with Raven, seeing as her father let her have a few nights off to get adjusted to school, which didn't feel like enough time, but she needed money for expenses anyway.

"Hey," Raven greeted her when she walked in, and they got to work.

It was quite busy for a week day, but it helped her shift go by quickly, and she was glad her father wasn't working tonight. He was sometimes the frantic type when the restaurant got busy, but she knew it was with good intentions to keep the customers happy and coming back.

Finally, their shift was coming to an end, and they had just an hour left. Usually they would have a few couples or so who would come in for a late dinner, but it was always easy to clean up just a few tables.

"Ugh, the last hour always drags," Raven sighed, her palm pressed into her cheek as they stood around. Clarke was waiting for the couple in the corner and a family on her side to finish up so she could clean the tables.

"I know. I still have to go home and shower," she said quietly, not wanting the customers to hear her and think badly that they were waiting on them to leave.

They could hear laughter in the back, and knew that Jasper and Monty were fooling around seeing as they had already got their orders out and were waiting for the other dishes and such.

"Dude, Pike is out to get me, I swear," Raven said, rolling her eyes. The passed couple of days they had already had a few verbal altercations already, but Raven had somehow managed to slide by without getting a detention so far.

"You just need to learn to hold your tongue better," Clarke chuckled, and Raven rolled her eyes again, but smiled.

"It's not my fault he says things that make me feel like I have to respond! And he knows I will, so I think he does it purposefully."

" _Sure."_ Clarke rolled her own eyes with a shake of her head, and Raven chuckled. "I don't think anyone else has a problem with him."

"Oh, no, Octavia does too. She told me he does the same thing to her now." Raven nodded.

"Why's that?"

"She said that he said something off topic that Lincoln disagreed with, I don't know what, and they had a bit of a debate about it. Then, when Pike saw them holding hands and found out they were together, he started treating _her_ differently."

"That's not fair to her." Clarke frowned, and Raven shrugged.

"He's a jerk."

Clarke checked the time once more, realizing only a few minutes had gone by, and sighed.

"Well, I'm going to go make sure there is silverware rolled or something," Clarke said, heading towards the back, and Raven waved her bye.

"I'll be here."

Clarke went to the stock room and grabbed what she needed, bringing them over to one of the back booth tables and began rolling.

She tried to keep her focus on the task, but like always, her thoughts went to Lexa.

She wondered how she was doing, only out of curiosity. Was she working tonight as well?

" _Maybe now she'll know not to mess with you after this."_ Raven's words echoed in her head, and it seemed as if this was so.

To say Clarke felt victorious was a lie. She didn't like that she had to do what she did, but she knew —or rather felt— that she had to show Lexa she wasn't going to stand down and let her get away with what she did. She shouldn't feel bad about it, and she felt like she wouldn't have, had the cake not exploded all over her. That's what made her feel somewhat guilty about it. If it would have gone as planned, it would have been different. She would have felt triumphant. She would have felt victorious about her retaliation, but she didn't because of how it ended. The extreme look on her face was...not what she wanted.

She sighed and tried to shake away the thoughts, forcing herself to focus on what she was doing.

Once she had a decent amount, she took the excess stuff back, but saw Raven approaching her with a wary look.

"What?" Clarke asked, feeding off of the worried expression.

"You're not going to believe this," she said, and began to walk back towards the front.

Clarke's brow creased with confusion at her words, but she followed Raven without question, and her eyes slightly became wide as she saw what appeared to be about fifteen or so people walking into the restaurant, pushing the center tables together and sitting down.

"Yo, can we get some service?" One of them asked, all of them chatting and laughing away loudly.

Two of their coworkers came up beside them, staring at all of them.

"Where did they come from?" one asked with dread.

"More like _who_ did they come with," Raven said with irritation in her voice. Clarke looked at her, and then followed her eyes to see none other than Lexa and Anya walking in and sitting down with the rest of the group.

"No way," Clarke said, shaking her head slightly. She glanced at the clock, realizing that her shift had just extended indefinitely. There was no way she could just leave the few closers to deal with the loud group of people, _especially_ because it was Lexa, the one who undoubtedly brought all of them here this late on purpose. How did she even manage to gather all of these people? Were they all Grounder workers?

She finally locked eyes with Lexa, and that smirk taunted her.

"Hey! Is anyone going to take our order?" Another called out, and Clarke felt her irritation rise as she pulled out her notepad and pen.

"Raven, warn the guys in the back," Clarke said, and Raven nodded, quickly turning around and heading towards the kitchen. "I'll take their drink orders, you take the right, and you take the left so we can get them out of here," she told the other servers, and mustered up her courage to approach the table.

She tried taking her time taking their orders in hopes that she could avoid talking to Lexa, but she could feel her eyes on her the entire time.

"Clarke, I almost didn't see you. You're working tonight?" Anya surprisingly and annoyingly asked her, and Clarke forced herself not to glare because of the sarcasm at the question.

 _Obviously._ She mentally growled. She was in on this.

"Yup." she smiled, taking another order.

She wished she would stop staring at her with that damn smirk and those piercing green eyes, and she did all she could not to look at her, but she had to eventually, to take her drink order. She was the last one.

"What can I get you?" she tried to put on a light tone, staring intently at her notepad.

"Hmm...what do you have, Clarke?" Lexa asked smoothly.

Clarke inwardly sighed, because she could just look at the menus they passed out, but recited their list of drinks anyway.

"What would you recommend?" she asked her, and Clarke couldn't help but finally look at her.

 _Stop smirking, damnit!_

"I'm not sure what _you_ would _like_." Clarke smiled, feeling the force of the action.

"What do _you_ think I would _like_?"

Clarke nearly bit off the inside of her lip as she continued to forcefully smile at Lexa. She was toying with her.

"I wouldn't know."

"Then, how about you surprise me instead, _Clarke_ ," Lexa said, staring at her with that light smug smirk.

She wished that she could wipe it away; any guilt she had previously felt quite absent at the moment.

"Fine. I'll be right back with your drinks," she said, and quickly walked away, gripping her notepad.

"Are you _serious_?" Jasper groaned with irritation when she and the other girls brought the order. Most of them had special requests.

"Let's just do this quickly. I'll help you with the food, too," Clarke said, and they all quickly got to work.

They began passing out the dishes that were ready, waiting on the other ones to finish.

Clarke, of course, ended up with Lexa's plate.

"Here you are," she said, still trying to keep her tone light, and was about to head to the back to get more.

"—Oh, Clarke."

She stopped, and turned around.

"Yes?"

"Can I get this sauce on the side instead of on top of the vegetables?" Lexa asked, waiting patiently as Clarke looked down at the plate for a moment in irritation, but smiled with tight lips.

"Sure thing," she said, picking up her plate to take it back.

Luckily they had prepared more than enough, and she got her a fresh serving with the sauce on the side. She took it back out and set it down.

"There you go," she said, and turned to leave.

"Clarke."

She took a deep calming breath, and faced her again.

"Yes?"

"I forgot, can I get the potatoes on a separate plate? I don't like them touching the vegetables."

 _Oh, I bet you don't._

"Sure thing, Lexa," she said, a bit of a bite in her tone that she couldn't help, and Lexa smiled gently.

"Thank you, Clarke."

She took the plate back, and Jasper sighed.

" _Again?_ Really?"

"Yup," Clarke sighed with irritation. "She's doing it on purpose to get a rise out of me. Potatoes on a separate dish, please."

She took the two new plates out, setting them down.

"Anything else?" she tried to ask politely. She wasn't going to let Lexa think she was getting to her. She could handle this. She wouldn't let her think she won.

"Yes, Clarke. Can I get a new fork, please? This one is dirty," she said, and Clarke heard Anya chuckle under her breath. She wanted to grab the once clean fork that _she_ had dirtied from touching the food with it from her previous plate, and shove it into that smirking mouth.

" _Of course,"_ Clarke said with a smile, and took the fork.

She merely wiped it off in the back, making sure it looked clean, and returned it.

"There you are, Lexa. Brand new fork. _Anything else_ I can do for you?"

"No, Clarke. That is all." Lexa nodded, and Clarke's jaw ached as she walked away with hidden clenched teeth.

* * *

Finally.

They were finally leaving.

Clarke waited eagerly as they began to stand up, some heading towards the door, but at this point she didn't care and started clearing their table. Raven and the other servers, and even Jasper and Monty helped by taking the dishes towards the back. They had ordered so many appetizers and such, and didn't even finish them all, nor requested to take any home.

When she saw Lexa's plate, she had to stop and take a deep breath to calm herself. She had barely even touched her food.

 _Jerk!_ She mentally scowled.

"Hey, thanks!" One of the people in the group smiled widely as they got up, and Clarke felt irritation rise, but smiled nonetheless.

"Yup. Have a good night," she said, reaching over and collecting their used napkins and straw wrappers that littered the tables.

" _Clarke."_

She heard the gentle voice, and froze for a moment, her heart picking up its pace, before looking up. She was standing on the other side of the table, staring at her, and smiled ever so lightly with a gentle nod.

"Lexa," she said, unable to bring herself to smile, and watched as she walked away.

She sighed once she was gone, and continued to clean up.

"Well," Raven finally broke the silence when it was just the two of them putting the tables back where they belonged. "Even though that utterly _sucked_ , was that really the best she could do? Bring a large group and be picky about everything?" she raised a brow, chuckling sarcastically. "That was not a very good attack."

Clarke had to somewhat agree. Though it made her stay over longer than she was supposed to and it irritated her more than anything, it wasn't as bad as she had expected it to be. She thought Lexa would have thought of something more clever than that.

"Oh well," Clarke shrugged, fixing the chairs. "At least this seems to be the last. I don't think this is even worth getting back at her," she said, and Raven nodded.

"Yeah, that was weak."

"Well, I'm going to go put these menus away, and put the extra salt and pepper shakers in the stock room and probably get going. Sarah and Tina said they can get the rest from here. I need to go home and shower," she sighed, and Raven nodded.

"I'll be right behind you," she said, and Clarke made her way towards the back.

When she entered the stock room and put the extra shakers away, relieved to finally be going home, something caught her eye, and she looked over to see one of those toy monkeys with the cymbals sitting on one of the extra tables they kept.

 _What's this?_ She wondered as she walked over to it. She noticed a small card placed in front of it, and picked it up, reading it.

 _Roses are red,_

 _Violets are blue._

 _You got me with cake,_

 _Now look at you._

Her brows pulled together in confusion as she read the poem. She knew exactly who it was from, and what the message referred to, but she didn't understand what the monkey had to do with it. How did she even get into the stock room to leave this here?

She looked at the monkey for a moment, and her irritation rose. Was she trying to say she was a monkey for serving her? Making her do all kinds of special orders and things for her?

She scowled and grabbed the monkey angrily to throw it away, but when she picked it up, she felt a small tug, and suddenly noticed the nearly transparent fishing wire wrapped around the turn-key in its back. The monkey began clanging the cymbals noisily as the fishing wire had tugged the key, turning it on. It was winding up the fishing wire as it turned, and her eyes followed the line. It was caught on a hook in the wall, and went upwards.

There, up on one of the shelves, she saw another toy monkey on a tricycle with the fishing wire wrapped around its turn-key, and when the key finished winding on the one in her hand, the fishing wire tugged on the key of the tricycle monkey, pulling it out and starting it up.

It began clanging its cymbals as it quickly rolled forward on the shelf, and she looked ahead of it to see some kind of spring loaded trap. Her heart quickly picked up as she realized the trap was wrapped with more fishing wire.

"Hey, Clarke, I—" Raven pushed open the door, but stopped when she saw the horrified look on Clarke's face, but neither of them had enough time to react as the tricycle monkey rolled onto the trap, causing the spring to snap forward and yanking the wire.

Suddenly, there was a loud _POP!_

She squeezed her eyes shut as something wet splattered her.

"Gah!" Raven yelped, scared from the noise, flinching. She quickly looked to Clarke, and her face became horrified. "...Oh, shit..."

Clarke stood in the middle of the stock room, completely stunned, still holding the toy monkey. She blinked her eyes a few times, looking down at herself as her mouth hung open, processing what had just happened.

She was covered from head to torso in frosting and confetti.

"Clarke! _Oh my god_ _are you okay?"_ Raven stared wide-eyed.

"What was that noise?" she heard Monty's voice, and suddenly, nearly everyone who was still there appeared in the doorway.

" _What happened?"_

The girls clamped their hands over their mouths, while Jasper and Monty, and two others tried their hardest not to laugh.

It was a set up. The group was a distraction.

She finally looked to Raven, and gritted her teeth, dropping the monkey.

"That's _IT!"_

Without a second thought, she nearly took Raven and everyone down, storming out of the stock room and towards the front of the restaurant, the few other customers who were still there staring strangely at her, but she was too furious to even care.

She threw the front door open and stopped; her eyes scanned the parking lot, ready to kill, but all she caught was striking green eyes and a smirk as their car pulled away.

She stood there, watching her leave; drenched in frosting and fury.

 _You're going down, Lexa Woods._

* * *

 ** _*gasp!* :O_**

 ** _Hope you guys enjoyed! XD_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hello.**_

 _ **So, some of you may be confused. I had posted a chapter before, but after receiving feedback (which I very much appreciate!) it was brought to my attention that what I had written before was too OOC for Clarke to react the way she had when the misunderstanding between them got brought up and she still retaliated, so I scrapped that and kicked it to the curb! (For now)**_

 _ **Hopefully this do-over is a bit better. I think I just stepped too far back from this story and got out of touch here, and due to writer's block I'm still struggling with it unfortunately, and part of me wants to scrap this whole thing and start over from the beginning. XD But I'm refraining from doing that, lol. :P**_

 _ **Again, I highly appreciate the feedback, because without it, I won't grow. :)**_

 _ **So I hope you guys enjoy the silliness that is within this story. :)**_

* * *

Anya laughed hysterically.

"I can't believe it actually worked! Did you see her? You are a genius!" she said excitedly, and Lexa smiled lightly, though a part of her couldn't get the image of Clarke, covered in frosting and confetti, and the look of burning anger in her eyes, out of her mind. It was pleasing that the plan worked, and yet, unpleasant to see that look on her face.

Still, she told herself she didn't care.

This was war.

"Let's see her try to top that one." Anya raised her chin with joyous pride, a smirk planted on her lips, but when she looked over at Lexa, seeing her merely staring out of the window, she frowned. "Hey, what's wrong? Don't tell me you feel bad now," Anya sighed.

"No," Lexa said quietly, her features placid as she stared ahead. "Just preparing for what's next," she lied convincingly, and became lost in thought as Anya started going through more ideas in case Clarke would retaliate.

Even though she was more than willing to fight this 'war' because she wasn't one to back down, she still couldn't help the unpleasantness that came with it. The feeling was an odd mixture of triumph and guilt, because her mind kept reverting back to that moment on the couch. Something just felt different. Talking to her felt easy, and it brought out a part of Lexa that she thought would never come to the surface again. She had felt that urge to get close to Clarke, to know her, but why?

That was always the question.

She barely knew her, and yet, so much of her wanted to get to know more of her. It was a strange pull, like dangling a bright, shiny, delicate object in front of a child who knew better than to mess with it. Yet, she wanted to.

What was this? She didn't understand it, but when a thought slowly starting coming to the surface, she quickly pushed it away with full force and anger.

There was no such thing as love at first sight. That was an utterly ridiculous idea. It was only for the movies, it didn't happen in real life.

Pain, loss, and suffering happened in real life. Not pure joy and fairytale endings. Not for her, at least. She learned that the hard way.

Still, she did start all of this. She started it when she kissed her, and when she looked back on it, she questioned why she did it. Sure, it was to help get rid of that boy, but why did she take that route? Why did she just kiss her?

As she recalled the memory, something swelled in her, and she actually allowed it this time, rather than forcing it away. Kissing Clarke was...something different. She couldn't figure it out, but it was like she was pulled into her, and there was this...spark in it. She always felt something when she looked at her. How? Why?

She sighed as she couldn't quite figure it out, why she was so drawn to her, and was becoming exhausted by these questions that constantly raged through her head.

"What? You don't think that's a good idea?" Anya asked, and Lexa looked over at her, realizing she hadn't heard a word she said.

"No, I think...we just need to wait and see what happens next before really planning anything," she said cleverly, and was thankful Anya didn't realize that she wasn't listening to her.

She remained silent on the way home as Anya continued going through ideas, obviously excited, and just tried to keep her mind clear of guilt, reminding herself that this was where they stood now. They were on a battle field, and there was no room for guilt or remorse. They had already started this thing, and there seemed to be no going back.

If Clarke continued to fight, then she would fight back.

This was war.

* * *

The next day, Clarke found herself nearly shaking with anger already as she was finally heading towards her Biology class. What was going to happen now? Would she be able to hold her tongue this time?

She hadn't slept much last night, not only because she stayed late at work and then had to clean all of the frosting and confetti off of her, but because she was going through scenarios of what would happen when she would be in the presence of Lexa, and tried to think of how she should act.

"Clarke," Raven called out, hurrying to catch up with her.

Clarke slowed down, glancing at Raven with a light smile. "Hey."

"Are you alright?" she asked with concern, and Clarke shrugged.

"Besides exhausted and purely furious?"

"We'll get her back," Raven said quietly with a confident nod, and they finally reached their class.

She saw Lexa already sitting at their table, pulling out her textbook, and immediately felt her anger rise. Lexa glanced up at Clarke, and her features remained impassive before looking away.

"Good luck," Raven whispered, before they separated to their respective tables. She watched Raven staring at Lexa as she passed her, who simply ignored her, and Clarke sat down as the first warning bell rang.

She soon found her leg shaking vigorously under the table as the bell rang, nearly biting her tongue off as she wanted to say something to her, but fought against it. She didn't want to cause a scene, especially in Pike's room.

"Alright, class," he addressed all of them after the bell rang. "Today, we're going to play a fun little game. I want you to try to memorize this list of vocabulary words and their definitions, but you only get ten minutes, and then you're going to try to match them up as much as you can remember," he said, and the class groaned. "Now, now. The bonus is you're going to pair up with the person sitting next to you, and..."

Clarke's heart sunk and pounded in her chest at the same time as she stopped listening to Pike. She didn't want to have to interact with Lexa, especially after last night. There was already enough tension seeping between them by just having to sit next to each other.

"—Alright, turn to page thirteen and start memorizing the words and their definitions," Pike instructed, and everyone opened up their books.

Clarke turned to the correct page, trying to focus as she looked over the words, but even as her eyes read them, her mind wasn't taking grasp of what she was reading because all she could think about was last night. She gripped her pencil tightly as her leg shook even harder under the table.

"Clarke."

Her eyes snapped to Lexa's; her blood pounding in her ears. "What?" she nearly snapped. Lexa seemed calmed at first, but slowly a coldness took over her features.

"You're shaking the table."

Immediately, Clarke's leg became still, but she couldn't fight the words that suddenly came pouring from her mouth with anger.

"Oh, I'm _sorry,_ " she whispered slowly, staring at her. "Is it upsetting you, Lexa? Would you like me to stop?" she asked her, harsh sarcasm laced into her words.

She saw the muscles of Lexa's jaw clench slightly as she stared back at Clarke.

"I would _appreciate it_ ," she whispered back almost venomously, and Clarke had to fight back a disbelieving laugh.

"Keep it down," Pike called out, not bothering to look up from his papers, and Clarke glared before returning her eyes to her book as Lexa did the same.

"I bet you would," Clarke whispered to her book, and she could see Lexa look back at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't act like you didn't start this whole thing," Clarke whispered with seething anger, glancing over at her, and they stared at each other with daggers in their eyes.

"Hey, I said keep it down, and your eyes should be on your books, not each other," Pike said again with warning, looking up at the two, and Clarke returned her eyes to her book again; her anger boiling underneath. She couldn't help it, nor could she stop it from spilling out.

"Perhaps you should give up already," Lexa said quietly under her breath.

"You wish, but I'm not going to back down," Clarke whispered confidently, and she could see Lexa smirk, which only irritated her.

She opened her mouth to say more, but before she could, Pike sighed loudly.

"Ms. Griffin, what did I just say?" he asked, staring sternly at her, and she looked back at him.

"Sorry," she muttered, and looked back at her book with irritation.

She scoffed at the idea of backing down. Why would she do that? Lexa not only attacked her, but her father, his business, and it affected her friends as well. She would do what she had to, for him, for her people, and to defend their business.

"Alright, books closed," Pike said, standing up after a moment. He began to pass out papers to each table. "Start filling these out. This isn't a race to get done first, but to see who has the most correct answers. Write both of your names. You have fifteen minutes."

They received their paper, and Lexa grabbed it first, writing both of their names. She began matching up what she remembered, not bothering to ask Clarke for help.

After a few minutes of Clarke watching Lexa write, she was certain she had written the wrong definition to one of the vocabulary words. She thought against telling her for a moment, when she remembered that she was being graded on this as well.

"That's wrong," she simply said, pointing, and she could see Lexa slightly glare at her from the corner of her eye, but she didn't change it.

Instead, she continued to write.

"Did you hear me? That isn't the right one, it's this one," she said again, pointing, but Lexa merely ignored her.

Clarke sighed loudly, and sat back, crossing her arms over her chest as she began shaking her leg, trying to not get even more irritated that Lexa was not letting her help with the paper.

She suddenly felt her phone go off in her pocket, and snuck a glance towards Pike, who was busy walking around on the other side of the room, and secretly pulled her phone out to check it.

 _ **Unknown: Clarke, we should talk.**_

She immediately knew who it was, having purposefully not saved his number.

 _ **Clarke: I don't want to talk. You left and didn't even want to try.**_

 _ **Unknown: I know, I just wasn't thinking right. But like I said before, I'm thinking of coming back and finishing up the last year there. We could start over.**_

She couldn't deny that she had thought about it before, but at the same time, he just up and left. She fought to try a long distance relationship with him, and even though they had been together for quite a long time, he just didn't want to try. It was like he disappeared. It hurt her, but she learned to get over him. Simple as that.

 _ **Clarke: I don't know Finn. I'm just not sure at this point.**_

Suddenly, she felt a kick against her leg, and looked over to ask Lexa why the hell she kicked her, when she noticed Pike making his way toward their side of the room, and quickly put her phone away.

She kept her eyes down as Pike slowly walked by, when suddenly, he stopped.

"Ms. Griffin, why are you letting Ms. Woods here do all of the work?" he asked, and she looked up. She opened her mouth and quickly looked to Lexa in hopes that she would speak up, but she kept her eyes on the paper as she continued to write.

"I was trying—"

"—This assignment is for the both of you," he interrupted her, and she knew he wasn't going to listen to anything she had to say. "Don't think you're just going to sit back while she does it all and take half of the credit. Get to work," he instructed, and continued walking before Clarke could say anything more.

She clenched her jaw and glared as Lexa smirked gently.

* * *

They finally left Biology, and Clarke was actually alright with the fact that she didn't have to sit next to Lexa in art.

"Hey, so what was that all about?" Raven asked while they walked down the hall.

Clarke sighed. "I tried to tell her she got one of the definitions wrong, but she wouldn't listen, and Pike thought she was doing all of the work."

"She wouldn't let you help?" Raven asked, and Clarke shook her head, irritated.

Suddenly, Octavia popped up.

"Hey guys." she smiled as she joined them. "I feel like I haven't seen either of you all day."

"Hey, O," they greeted her back as they continued walking, and Raven began to yawn.

"What's wrong, Reyes? Stay up late last night working?" Anya suddenly called out in the hall. "And Clarke, you're looking... _better_."

Both her and Clarke glared as she smirked and walked away.

"Hmm, wonder _why_ you conniving, sneaky, no-good— _oomphf!_ " Raven grunted when Clarke elbowed her hard in the side, giving her a warning side glance, but it was too late.

"What does that mean?" Octavia asked, looking at the two, and Clarke avoided her eyes as Raven cleared her throat. They continued walking as if Octavia had said nothing at all.

She suddenly stepped in front of them, stopping them from walking further, her features tight. "What did she mean by that? What did you guys do?" she asked sternly.

"Nothing, O. Just restaurant competition." Raven tried to wave it away as if it were nothing, and Octavia clenched her jaw as she stared hard at Clarke, who continued to avoid her eyes.

"What happened?" she asked, but neither of them said anything as they glanced at each other. They didn't want her to get involved. " _Fine._ I'll just ask Lincoln," she said, beginning to walk away quickly.

"—No, O! Wait up!" Raven called after her, shooting Clarke a look behind her before she disappeared into the crowd of students.

Great, just what Clarke needed. More people involved which probably meant more drama.

She sighed as she entered the art class, and only glanced once at Lexa before she sat down next to Murphy.

"Hey, Clarke," he greeted her with his sly smile.

"Hi, Murphy," she responded dully.

"So..." he suddenly put an arm over her shoulders, and she immediately became annoyed. "I'm having a party this weekend, wanna come?" he asked, hopeful.

"No, thank you. I have to work," she said, shaking his arm off, and he made a _pfft_ sound.

"Come after," he pressed on, but she shook her head.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to pass."

"Come onnn. It'll be fun."

"I can't, Murphy." She was becoming irritated.

"Why? Is it because of _her_? Because if you need someone to kiss, I'll gladly—" he began teasingly, but Clarke's eyes snapped to him.

"— _Stop_ ," she spat, and his brows pulled together as he stared at her. "I don't want to go to your stupid party, alright?" she said angrily, unable to stop her harsh words, and sighed as she faced forward. She didn't mean to snap at him, but she was in no mood to deal with him today.

"Alright, damn..." he muttered angrily, turning away.

She slightly glanced over and could see Lexa staring in their direction out of the corner of her eye, but she returned her eyes forward, not wanting to think about anything having to do with Lexa, or Murphy, or parties.

However, it seemed the universe thought differently.

"Alright, class, today we're pairing up," Miss Cartwig announced. "One of you will be taking your stool and sitting across from the other, and we're going to be practicing on portraits," she said, and some of the students groaned. "Now, don't give me that. This is a more advanced class, you should have known we would be doing stuff like this."

She then pulled out a bucket with paint stains on it, setting it on the small stand she had in the center.

"I have names of half of the students in here, and I'm going to go around to the other half, and you will pull one out. That will be your partner for the rest of the year," she said, and started at one half of the room. Clarke hoped she wouldn't choose Lexa, or the other way around, but the universe seemed to think it funny as she watched Miss Cartwig finally reach Lexa, and when she pulled out the folded piece of paper and read it, Clarke's stomach sunk as she glanced in her direction.

"And who will be your partner?" Miss Cartwig asked, waiting.

Clarke couldn't hear what she had said because she said the name so quietly, but she knew. Oh, she just knew.

"Clarke, bring your stool over here in front of Lexa. You two are partners," Miss Cartwig instructed, and Clarke tried not to sigh loudly as she grabbed her stool and began to head over to Lexa's desk.

 _Great. Just really freaking great._

"Well, here we are again," Lexa said, staring at Clarke, and this time, Clarke couldn't bite her tongue.

"At least I have my own paper to actually work on," she shot at her, and Lexa faintly smirked.

"At least you didn't get caught with your phone."

All she could do was glare, because it was Lexa's doing that she didn't get in trouble for that.

The rest of the class paired up and waited for Miss Cartwig to finish.

"Alright, now I'm going to put dividers in between you so you cannot see your partner's work until the end. Now, I want you to make this your own. Interpret how you see them, and this can be in any style, it doesn't have to be a realistic portrait if you don't want. I encourage you to use your imagination," Miss Cartwig said, and walked back over to her desk. "And remember to _be kind to one another_. You may start," she said, and turned on her stereo, as Clarke remembered she often did from past classes to help encourage creativity.

Oddly and surprisingly, it wasn't the classic rock she often played from her era, but a Paramore song that Clarke immediately recognized, and she began to think, allowing her love for art to take over.

 _No sir, well, I don't wanna be the blame, not anymore._

 _It's your turn, so take a seat. We're settling the final score._

 _And why do we like to hurt so much?_

 _I can't decide, you have made it harder just to go on, and why, all the possibilities…_

 _Well I was wrong..._

Clarke put herself in the zone, forgetting everything around her, and focused on how she wanted to interpret Lexa.

The first thought that crossed her mind was horns and a pitch fork, but she took her art seriously, and pushed all of those negative thoughts aside. She found herself staring at her vibrant green eyes instead, as Lexa glanced up and then looked down from time to time, and she immediately thought of how her eyes mostly spoke for her when her mouth didn't. She felt her creativity begin to blossom.

That's how she'd interpret her.

She put her pencil to the paper, and began to sketch.

* * *

The song immediately flooded her ears, and she couldn't ignore the lyrics even if she tried.

 _That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._

 _That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._

 _I drowned out all my sense with the sound of its beating._

 _And that's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._

She mentally shook her head, and started to think on how she would interpret Clarke.

She wasn't much of an artist, nor did she really care for drawing things. If she could write it out, she would probably find an easier time, but she tried anyway, glancing up at Clarke from time to time, and the music filled her ears once more.

 _I still try holding onto silly things,_

 _I never learn._

 _Oh why, all the possibilities, I'm sure you've heard…_

 _That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._

 _That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._

 _I drowned out all my sense with the sound of its beating._

 _And that's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._

She began to sketch, feeling the emotion from the song as it influenced her, and immediately she wasn't fond of her drawing, but she thought maybe Clarke might get a kick out of it...maybe.

She was, without a doubt, enjoying having an excuse to look at Clarke, but all of their past events crept into her mind as she tried to search for her creativity.

 _Pain, make your way to me, to me._

 _And I'll always be just so inviting._

 _If I ever start to think straight, this heart will start a riot in me._

 _Let's start, start, hey!_

Perhaps she wasn't doing the best interpretation, but she knew if Clarke didn't quite see the humor, she knew Anya would if she saw it. She began to wonder how Clarke would feel when she would see it.

Surely, she was doing something similar.

* * *

The song ended, and another by the same band came up. Clarke wasn't used to Miss Cartwig playing this type of music, and she imagined she was trying to 'keep up with the kids', even though this song wasn't very new, but she continued to sketch as the song played.

 _I got a lot to say to you._

 _Yeah, I got a lot to say._

 _I noticed your eyes are always glued to me,_

 _Keeping them here and it makes no sense at all…_

She found herself slightly heading in a different direction. She was just going to simply sketch her eyes, possibly a little more, but she found herself now recreating the dark 'warpaint' she had remembered seeing that night she had confronted her, giving the stoical appearance of her eyes a more intimidating feel.

 _Nothing compares to a quiet evening alone._

 _Just the one, two of us is counting on._

 _That never happens, I guess I'm dreaming again._

 _Let's be more than, this._

 _If you wanna play it like a game,_

 _Well come on, come on, let's play._

 _Cause I'd rather waste my life pretending,_

 _Than have to forget you for one whole minute…_

Clarke was slowly becoming lost in the sketch of her eyes, no longer paying attention to whatever song was now playing as she was diving deeper into her creation, and she was becoming quite fond of it.

Lexa was beautiful, no doubt, but she wasn't going to admit it out loud. She just hoped her drawing would do justice, especially for her eyes. They were deep, with so much hidden behind them, and she tried to capture them as best as she could, all the while thinking what it was Lexa was really hiding behind them.

As she now had the excuse to really stare into them, she just didn't understand. Why did she get a kick out of teasing Clarke, and getting a rise out of her, that when she thought no one was looking, her eyes said something different? It seemed like there was pain in them. They were distant, like they were holding something back, and there was also a quiet anger underneath them.

Maybe she didn't realize how much her eyes spoke for her.

She was now just staring at Lexa, her pencil still in her hand, and when Lexa seemed to realize this, she slightly glanced to the side, and Clarke snapped out of her thoughts. She quickly returned back to her paper, and escaped into her drawing once more, an odd mixture of feelings in her.

"Alright, time's up," Miss Cartwig announced, and Clarke looked up at the clock, realizing they only had ten minutes of class left. "Everyone, move your dividers aside, and let's see what you've created."

Both Lexa and Clarke reached for the divider, their fingers slightly overlapping the other, and they stared at one another.

Butterflies attacked her insides and she didn't understand it. How did Lexa make her feel these things, and yet infuriate her at the same time?

They both quickly pulled their hands away, and Clarke fought the blush that crept to her cheeks. Neither of them reached for the divider again, and left it to keep them separated as Miss Cartwig came around.

"Oh wow, Clarke, that's very good. I love how you mostly just kept with her eyes and how deep they feel here," she praised Clarke, who couldn't fight the blush now.

"Thank you," she said, and glanced up to see Lexa slightly peering over the divider that was still in between them. She stared hard at the sketch, her brow slightly creased, and to Clarke's surprise, Lexa seemed to be blushing lightly.

"What's the dark around them?"

"Oh, uh...just...you know, to emphasize the light in her eyes..." Clarke muttered, her face feeling hot as she really didn't want to explain out loud what it really meant to her, and Miss Cartwig simply nodded, noticing the redness on Clarke's face.

"That is...really good, Clarke..." Lexa suddenly said, and their eyes met.

"Thank you," Clarke said gently, and this time there was no malice in their tones or features. It was as if they were just...normal with each other.

Lexa had talked about wanting to see Clarke's art before, and she was taken back to that moment on the couch, when they were actually getting along, and just for a slight moment, she considered stopping this war.

Miss Cartwig then peered over the divider towards Lexa's side, and then grabbed it, moving it aside. Clarke looked down to see what Lexa had drawn, but her hands were casually over it, as if she were trying to hide it.

"Lexa, don't be shy. Let's see what you did," Miss Cartwig encouraged her.

"It's not done," Lexa said, with a slight shake of her head, and Clarke's curiosity rose.

"That's alright. Let's see. Come on," she encouraged her again, and Lexa stared at Clarke as she finally moved her hands away.

Clarke stared at the drawing, and froze for a moment.

"Oh, that's cute and funny. Is it like an inside joke between you two?"

Clarke could slowly feel the tightness in her chest as she stared at the upside down drawing. It was a cartoon style of her with what looked like monkey ears and a tail, covered in frosting, a cake sitting on top of her head with one candle on it, and she was holding up a white flag.

She clenched her jaw as she stared at it, feeling the emotions from last night coming back to her.

"Yes...it's just a little joke," Lexa said quietly, and Clarke rose her eyes up to meet hers. They stared at one another as Miss Cartwig said something she didn't pay attention to, and finally moved away to look at the others, oblivious to the tension between them.

She should have left that divider between them.

Clarke immediately stood up, grabbing her stool and taking it back over to her respective desk without another word, shoving her supplies and things away in her bag as the bell rang.

She should have gone with the damn horns and pitch fork.

Clarke threw her backpack over her shoulder, trying not to take any students down as she stormed out of the classroom.

"Clarke." She heard behind her, but kept walking.

She shouldn't be taking it so hard, but at the same time, she couldn't help it. This was all still just a funny game to her, wasn't it? Of course it was.

"Clarke," Lexa repeated again, and she felt her grab her arm gently, stopping her.

"What?" Clarke asked rather harshly, trying to force her emotions away like Lexa seemed to be so good at doing.

"It was just a joke," Lexa said calmly, staring at her.

"Yeah. Real funny." Clarke nodded, and turned, walking away from her.

She wasn't sure why she was getting so upset over it, Lexa had done worse, but perhaps because it hit Clarke's soft spot. Art was always her escape. She held it close to her heart, and here Lexa had teased her with it. Like she did with everything else.

This was just a game.

* * *

Lexa watched Clarke as she stormed away.

It was apparent she didn't find it humorous.

She started to feel bad, because Clarke had obviously took the assignment seriously and sketched an actually really good interpretation of her eyes, and here, Lexa just teased her again.

However, she couldn't help it as the words re-flooded her mind as she watched her storm down the hall.

" _Lexa is nothing good. She plays with people and toys with them. She doesn't care. She will do just about anything to get what she wants, that's all. She's inconsiderate and selfish, and I can see right through her tricks."_

Lexa clenched her jaw.

Yes, Clarke had said those words, so why would it surprise her at what she had done?

She was inconsiderate and selfish.

She didn't care...right?

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Raven asked as she pulled around to the back of the restaurant.

"It was _your_ idea," Clarke said, staring at her sternly.

"Right. If we get caught though, we could get into serious trouble," she warned, and Clarke sighed.

"Are you in this or not?"

"Yes." Raven nodded, staring at her. "What's gotten into you?" she asked, and Clarke made a face. She had been tense all day.

"Sorry..."

"It's alright... Have you heard from O?" she asked as she shut the car off.

"No, has she said anything to you?" Clarke asked, and she shook her head. They sat silently in the car for a moment, and Clarke could feel her nervousness rising, but her determination encouraged her to follow the plan.

"Alright, so the back door more than likely has an alarm," Raven began, uneasiness in her voice. "We'll have a one minute window to shut it off."  
" _You_ will have a one minute window to shut it off," Clarke corrected, and Raven nodded, looking uncertain and nervous.

"Right."

"We can just go with the other plan of painting the windows..." Clarke began, but Raven shook her head, pulling a black beanie on that matched the rest of her jet black clothes. They looked like two thieves in a crime movie, all dressed in black long sleeves and dark pants with gloves.

"No, no. Go big or go home, right?" she asked her, and Clarke nodded, her adrenaline rushing.

They sat silently in the car for a few more minutes, staring out of the windows into the night. Raven was right, if they got caught doing this, they would get into serious trouble.

"Alright...Ready?" she asked Clarke, and all she could do was nod, taking a deep breath.

They got out of the car, Raven having borrowed her grandmother's so her jeep wouldn't make it obvious, and quietly shut the doors. They went towards the front of their building, looking around first. It was near two in the morning, and everywhere was silent and still.

"Let's go," Clarke whispered, and they quickly rushed across the parking lot, hiding behind the bushes planted along the edge, before crossing the empty street to the Woods's restaurant.

They went around the back and searched for the back door until they finally found it. Raven crouched down, bringing the backpack she brought in front of her, while Clarke kept an eye out. She pulled out a small flashlight, putting it in her mouth to point it at the door, and began to pick the lock.

"Hurry," Clarke whispered, and Raven glared.

" _I cah ohy go ho auh."_ her words muffled and incoherent with the flashlight in her mouth.

Finally, there was a small click, and she pulled out the flashlight. "Got it," she said, and Clarke's heart beat into overdrive. They were actually attempting to do this.

She handed Clarke the flashlight, and grabbed the handle.

"Now, the alarm is going to go off. Pull out your phone first and time it. If it hits the minute mark and I haven't shut it off, we bail. Alright?" she asked, and Clarke nodded quickly, pulling out her phone to bring up the stop watch. "Ready?" she asked her.

"Ready," Clarke said, her limbs shaking, and Raven took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Immediately, the alarm began ringing loudly, hurting Clarke's ears as she shut the door quickly in hopes that it would muffle the sound from the outside, and Raven quickly pulled out a screw driver, working on the alarm.

Clarke hit the timer, and waited anxiously, keeping the flashlight pointed for Raven to see as she pulled the cover off. She began inspecting the wires, and Clarke's terrified nervousness grew as she glanced down at the time.

"Twenty seconds," she said over the alarm, and felt herself beginning to sweat as the alarm continued to blare. "Thirty..."

She immediately began thinking they were going to have to bail as the timer got closer, her heart racing just as fast as the seconds, and just when she was about to pull Raven away and have them make a run for it, all became silent.

They waited silently, listening to see if the alarm had alerted anyone, and after a little over two minutes, Raven nodded.

"The cops would have been here by now," she said, and Clarke felt herself relax, but only just slightly as her adrenaline continued to race.

"Now, what?" Clarke whispered.

"Now, we gotta find their radio," Raven said, and they began to make their way through the dark restaurant.

It didn't take long for them to find their office, and Raven began looking around.

"Ah, there it is," she said, pointing toward a black radio installed in the wall. Clarke shined the flashlight on it while Raven began pulling out a random device and tools. She briefly described to Clarke what it did, but she didn't really understand any of it.

"So...you said you can control the radio by...whatever that is?" she asked as Raven began to unscrew the case.

"Yeah, it will give me full control to it virtually from an app I built on my tablet," Raven said as she took the case off and began to mess with the wires.

"And it will work?" Clarke asked with uncertainty, and Raven glanced back at her with a raised brow.

"Of course it will. I built it," she said with a smirk, and turned back to continue working.

Clarke glanced out of the office into the dark restaurant, her hair standing on end, and quickly ducked her head back as she could see car lights flash by the windows. She watched anxiously, but it was just a car passing by the restaurant, and then began looking around towards the ceiling.

"Don't worry, I already scoped the place out. They haven't installed cameras or anything yet," Raven said. "So, as long as we can get in and get out, we'll be fine."

"What about the alarm? Won't they realize someone messed with it?" Clarke asked, because it wasn't like they could just walk out of the front door.

"Monty helped me make a device that kills any electronics, phones, any signal within a ten feet radius. It will momentarily disable the alarm so we can get out without it going off," she said, and Clarke's brows pulled together.

"How do you guys even know how to build this stuff? —Wait, Monty doesn't know we're doing this, right? And why didn't you use that before?" she asked her.

"Well," Raven began as she placed some small computer-looking chip inside the radio, beginning to hook up the wires from the radio to it. "One, we're geniuses. Two, he doesn't know, he just gets excited to build anything new, and three, I didn't use it before because you can only use it once. The first time we made it, the signal and power was too much and it killed itself," she said, and Clarke raised a brow at her. "Hey, we're not perfect." Raven shrugged.

Finally, after a few more minutes, Raven put the case back on and screwed it shut.

"Well?" Clarke asked anxiously, already wanting to get out of there.

"It's finished," Raven said, smiling with a nod.

"How do you know it will really work?" Clarke asked, and Raven reached into her backpack, pulling out her tablet. She tapped on an icon, and then the screen displayed what looked like the front of a virtual radio. Clarke watched as she tapped an "on" button, and then changed the station. They looked up at the small digital screen on the actual radio, and to Clarke's amazement, it changed.

"Yes! —I mean, psh, I knew it would work…" Raven shook her head, and Clarke chuckled quietly. She changed it back to its original station, and began gathering up her things. "Alright, let's go."

They quickly made their way back to the backdoor, and Raven pulled out the other strange device. She flipped a switch, and suddenly Clarke felt her phone vibrate in her hand. She looked down at it, and saw that she had no service, and as she looked up at the alarm, the tiny red light slowly turned dark.

"How did you know it would do that?" she asked, and Raven smirked.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm a genius," she said proudly, but as she reached for the backdoor, she hesitated a moment, and they held their breaths as she pushed it open, waiting for the alarm to blare again.

However, all was silent.

"Alright, let's go before this thing fries. It's starting to get hot," Raven said, and they quickly made their way out of the back door, and just as Raven completely shut it, there was a small spark and a pop, and she dropped the device with a quiet yelp.

"Ah, damn thing," she muttered angrily, shaking her hand a bit before she picked it back up, and Clarke felt her phone vibrate once more. She now had service. "Told you it doesn't last very long," Raven said, examining the fried device with a slight frown.

"Let's go," Clarke said, and they checked the area before they ran back across the street and their parking lot, finally making it to the car.

Once they were safely inside, Clarke looked to Raven, who was smiling widely, and suddenly, they began laughing rather uncontrollably. She started the car, and they quickly drove away.

"I can't believe we just pulled that off!" Raven said excitedly. "That was so dangerous! You know, if we got caught, we would have been in serious trouble for breaking and entering. I feel like a secret spy or something now!" she said with breathless excitement, bouncing in her seat as she drove, and Clarke chuckled at her.

"I can't believe it either. They won't see this coming," Clarke said, feeling her devilish side coming out now that her anxious nervousness of getting caught had passed.

It was time for revenge.

* * *

She felt like the entire day was dragging. Each time she glanced up at the clock, thinking at least a half hour had passed, it would only be no more than ten minutes, and she nearly groaned as she counted how many hours she had left. She just wanted this day to hurry up.

Biology had come and felt like it dragged more than ever. This time however, neither Lexa nor Clarke said a word to each other, and when they reached art, Miss Cartwig thankfully didn't pair them up today. Instead, she had given them a random word from the dictionary and told them to draw out what it meant to them in their sketch journals, but Clarke found herself drawing what she should have drawn the first time. A devil Lexa with horns and a pitch fork.

 _Just you wait._ She thought to herself as she glanced over at her.

Finally, night came and Clarke and Raven sat in the Grounder's parking lot in the car towards the very back, staring into the windows.

"Do you think she works tonight? Because if not, we'll have to wait until she does, or it will be pointless," Clarke said, and suddenly Raven pointed.

"There, is that her?" she asked, pointing to a car as it pulled in and parked.

"I don't know..."

They waited and watched anxiously, and Clarke's heart began to race as she saw both Anya and Lexa step out, heading towards the restaurant.

"Yes! Anya will be there too! Ooh, this makes it that much more better," Raven said evilly, smirking as she rubbed her hands together like a villain.

"You are so strange, sometimes." Clarke shook her head with a chuckle. "Okay, let's wait until the place gets a little more full, then...Operation Dance Club is a go," she said, and Raven raised an eyebrow at her. "...What?"

"Operation Dance Club? Who's the strange one now?" she asked, and Clarke rolled her eyes as they both laughed.

They waited at least an hour or so, until the parking lot and the restaurant seemed packed full of people, and Clarke looked to Raven with a nod.

"It's time," she said, and Raven smiled as she pulled up her tablet, tapping on the icon.

"I am seriously a genius..." she whispered to herself, and Clarke swore she saw her head get bigger, causing her to shake her head at Raven's ego.

"Just hurry up," Clarke said, and Raven tapped the "on" button. She then switched the station, going to a specific channel.

"Alright...Are you ready?" she asked, looking to her, and they stared at one another anxiously, before Clarke nodded her head. "Here we go..."

She returned her eyes to the restaurant, staring into the windows, and glanced over as Raven then tapped the virtual volume at the very top, bringing the volume to full max.

Immediately, they heard techno music blaring from inside of the restaurant like a dance club, as well as on the two small speakers installed outside, and a few of the customers and workers jumped at the unexpected booming sound. An older man dropped out of sight from the windows, while a worker flung the tray of food he was carrying into the air.

"Oh my —look!" Raven pointed. They began laughing hysterically, and even harder as some of the customers got up and ran outside in a panic, running into each other to get out, while the others and the workers covered their ears, looking around confused and frantic.

More customers and workers then went outside, staring at the building strangely as the music nearly vibrated the ground. Raven cracked her window to let the sound in more, and began dancing to the beat.

"Man, they have a good stereo system!" she laughed, dancing, and Clarke had tears rolling down her face as she laughed harder.

"Alright, alright. You _are_ a genius!" she laughed, and Raven continued to dance, wearing a proud smirk.

Suddenly, the music stopped, as well as Raven, and she frowned.

"Hey! I was starting to like that song!" she said angrily, and tapped the 'on' button again, causing the music to start blasting again, and she started to dance once more.

The music stopped again, and Raven grabbed the tablet.

"Good thing I installed a lock feature. The only way they can shut it off now is by unplugging the radio," she smiled evilly, and went into the Raven-made app settings, and once again, the music began blaring through the speakers, causing Clarke to continue laughing as people looked entirely confused. Some of the customers seemed angry as they began talking with the workers, who shrugged with no answers for them; their faces lost in confusion.

"Alright, we need to go," Clarke said through her laughter, and Raven frowned.

"Aw, come on! We were just getting into the two minute beat breakdown!" she frowned playfully, and Clarke shook her head, but as she looked up, she saw Lexa and Anya storming out of the restaurant, quickly looking around the parking lot.

Clarke quickly ducked down. "Shit! We need to go, now! Now!" she said, hitting the dashboard frantically and still smiling widely as Raven quickly kicked on the engine, and they began to pull out of the parking lot.

Lexa's eyes immediately snapped to their moving car, and she watched Clarke through her passenger window with eyes set to kill, and Clarke stared back with an evil smile as they finally pulled out onto the street and drove away, the music fading behind them.

Immediately, they began laughing hysterically again.

"WE ARE AWESOME!" Raven yelled excitedly, turning on the radio in the car to the same station, high-fiving Clarke before dancing again as she drove, and this time, Clarke joined her.

She never laughed harder in her life.

* * *

"Ooh, I could just _kill them!_ " Anya growled over the music from behind Lexa as they watched the car disappear down the road. "What are we going to do now? How do we get them back? _Please_ tell me we're going to do something."

Lexa stared down the road, her blood pumping through her veins like the beat from the unpleasant music. That was a bold and clever move. She never would have thought of that, nor could she even comprehend how they had done it, and she couldn't help but secretly praise them for such a cunning attack.

How could they top something like that? It was well thought out, and strangely Lexa admired it. She felt that sparking interest again, but why? Did she like the rushing feeling it gave her, that Clarke would go to such an extent? Was it because it made her _feel_ something?

Because _Clarke_ made her feel something? Even though it involved getting at each other? Perhaps it was better than being numb.

Finally, someone got the radio to stop blaring that ungodly music.

She realized there seemed to be no hidden message in this plan like the previous. It was just an attack to get back at her. That was it. Probably because she had made fun of Clarke with the drawing. At least this time, frosting wasn't involved.

"Lexa?"

"Let's get everyone back inside first, and then we'll plan something. This isn't over," Lexa said, staring down the road for just a second longer before turning back to the others in the parking lot.

 _You are good, Clarke. You are good._


End file.
